Herman Melville, (1819-1891) American writer Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Comment on this quote Share via Email Print this Page Herman Melville Quote “It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation. He who has never failed somewhere, that man can not be great. Failure is the true test of greatness.”Herman Melville ~ Herman Melville (1819-1891) American writerHawthorne and His Mosses (1850) Conformity , Conscience , Courage , Independence , Individualism Ratings and Comments SaveOk2 SaveOk2 View CommentsClick to view or comment. Share on Facebook Tweet Email Print This Herman Melville quote is found in these categories: Conformity quotes Conscience quotes Courage quotes Independence quotes Individualism quotes About Herman Melville Bio of Herman Melville Quotations by Herman Melville Books by/about Herman Melville Herman Melville videos Herman Melville on Wikipedia Astrological chart for Herman Melville