"There are times when even the most potent governor must wink at transgression, in order to preserve the laws inviolate for the future."

Time

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Insight & Reflection

The theme of time is universal, yet Herman Melville manages to capture its essence in a uniquely profound way. Taking a moment to internalize this can shift our mindset, reminding us that our perspective on time often shapes our reality.

About Herman Melville

Herman Melville was an American writer of the American Renaissance period. Among his best-known works are Moby-Dick (1851), Typee (1846), a romanticized account of his experiences in Polynesia, and Billy Budd, Sailor, a posthumously published novella. At the time of his death, Melville was not well known to the public, but 1919, the centennial of his birth, was the starting point of a Melville revival. Moby-Dick would eventually be considered one of the Great American Novels.

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Editorial Note: This quote is curated and fact-checked by the Quotes Archive Editorial Team. Verified Literature Specialist.

More by Herman Melville

"It is a enduring truth that serenity begins the moment you cease demanding that the external world conform — an essential principle for the reflective life."

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"It is a essential truth that a steadfast commander remains calm when the storm rages fiercest — an essential principle for the reflective life."

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More about Time

"Young feminists have been sold a bill of goods about American feminism. The enormous changes in women over the past 40 years are constantly and falsely attributed to the organized women's movement of the late 1960s and '70s."

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