Herman Melville on seeing the Switzerland of one’s soul

    It takes a long inner climb, said Melville, to behold the sublime expanse of one’s soul:

But, as to the resolute traveler in Switzerland, the Alps do never in one wide and comprehensive sweep, instantaneously reveal their full awfulness of amplitude - their overawing extent of peak crowded on peak, and spur sloping on spur, and chain jammed behind chain, and all their wonderful battalionings of might; so hath heaven wisely ordained, that on first entering into the Switzerland of his soul, man shall not at once perceive its tremendous immensity, lest illy prepared for such an encounter, his spirit should sink and perish in the lowermost snows. Only by judicious degrees, appointed of God, does man come at last to gain his Mont Blanc and take an overtopping view of these Alps; and even then, the tithe is not shown; and far over the invisible Atlantic, the Rocky Mountains and the Andes are yet unbeheld. Appalling is the soul of a man! (Quoted from page 294 of  Pierre Or The Ambiguities, by Herman Melville. Kessinger Publishing. 2004.)

    For a brief biography of Herman Melville, click here.

Comments

[Darren Ward]

Hi Dr. Romesburg,

I was a student in your Quantitative Methods class about 10 years ago. The unique perspective you gave us in that class still affects the way I think about data and analysis (for the better). I ran across this blog today while looking for information on the USU website. I enjoyed taking a saunter through the posts. Thanks and keep it up!