Bk. XIV, ch. 1
• A paraphrase of the last portion of this has sometimes been cited as a quotation of Melville: God's one and only voice is silence.
• A paraphrase of the last portion of this has sometimes been cited as a quotation of Melville: God's one and only voice is silence.
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Silence is the general consecration of the universe. Silence is the invisible laying on of the Divine Pontiff's hands upon the world. Silence is at once the most harmless and the most awful thing in all nature. It speaks of the Reserved Forces of Fate. Silence is the only Voice of our God.
— Herman Melville
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Silence is the general consecration of the universe. Silence is the invisible laying on of the Divine Pontiff's hands upon the world. Silence is at once the most harmless and the most awful thing in all nature. It speaks of the Reserved Forces of Fate. Silence is the only Voice of our God." in the context of "Bk. XIV, ch. 1
• A paraphrase of the last portion of this has sometimes been cited as a quotation of Melville: God's one and only voice is silence." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Herman Melville" (Quotes, Pierre: or, The Ambiguities (1852))
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Herman Melville
Herman Melville (1 August 1819 – 28 September 1891) was an American novelist, essayist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance period.
About Herman Melville
Herman Melville (1 August 1819 – 28 September 1891) was an American novelist, essayist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance period.
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