Some souls dive into the blackest gorges and soar out again.

Herman Melville, Moby-Dick (1851), ch. 96

What it means

Melville admits there is a sadness that becomes madness. But some people, like a mountain eagle, can go to the darkest places and still rise. Even its lowest flight is higher than other birds on the plain.

The source

"Some souls dive into the blackest gorges and soar out again." Herman Melville said it in Moby-Dick (1851), ch. 96. Written in English: Moby-Dick, 1851.

"And there is a Catskill eagle in some souls that can alike dive down into the blackest gorges, and soar out of them again and become invisible in the sunny spaces."

Original English (Moby-Dick, 1851), Moby-Dick (1851), ch. 96. Text read at gutenberg.org.

Who said it

Herman Melville (1819–1891). Sailed on a whaler in the Pacific as a young man, then wrote Moby-Dick (1851), the great American novel of the sea.

Questions

What does "Some souls dive into the blackest gorges and soar out again." mean?: Melville admits there is a sadness that becomes madness. But some people, like a mountain eagle, can go to the darkest places and still rise. Even its lowest flight is higher than other birds on the plain.
Who said "Some souls dive into the blackest gorges and soar out again."?: Herman Melville (1819–1891). Source: Moby-Dick (1851), ch. 96.
What is the original wording?: And there is a Catskill eagle in some souls that can alike dive down into the blackest gorges, and soar out of them again and become invisible in the sunny spaces (Original English (Moby-Dick, 1851)). Written in English: Moby-Dick, 1851.
Is "Some souls dive into the blackest gorges and soar out again." on a shirt?: Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

Cite this line

"Some souls dive into the blackest gorges and soar out again." (Herman Melville, Moby-Dick (1851), ch. 96, trans. Original English (Moby-Dick, 1851)). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/some-souls-dive-into-the-blackest-gorges-and