“ We ought to thank God for that. Yes, the man who tills the land is more worthy of respect than any. ”
- Nikolai Gogol- Copy
- 3.8K
“ The longer and more carefully we look at a funny story, the sadder it becomes. ”
- Nikolai Gogol- Copy
- 1.8K
“ I am fated to journey hand in hand with my strange heroes and to survey the surging immensity of life, to survey it through the laughter that all can see and through the tears unseen and unknown by anyone. ”
- Nikolai Gogol- Copy
- 2.4K
“ Like all of us sinners, General Betrishchev was endowed with many virtues and many defects. Both the one and the other were scattered through him in a sort of picturesque disorder. Selfsacrifice, magnanimity in decisive moments, courage, intelligenceand with all that, a generous mixture of selflove, ambition, vanity, petty personal ticklishness, and a good many of those things which a man simply cannot do without. ”
- Nikolai Gogol- Copy
- 423
“ Two turtle doves will show thee Where my cold ashes lie And sadly murmuring tell thee How in tears I did die ”
- Nikolai Gogol- Copy
- 3.8K
“ Happy the writer who, passing by characters that are boring, disgusting, shocking in their mournful reality, approaches characters that manifest the lofty dignity of man, who from the great pool of daily whirling images has chosen only the rare exceptions, who has never once betrayed the exalted turning of his lyre, nor descended from his height to his poor, insignificant brethren, and, without touching the ground, has given the whole of himself to his elevated images so far removed from it. Twice enviable is his beautiful lot: he is among them as in his own family; and meanwhile his fame spreads loud and far. With entrancing smoke he has clouded people's eyes; he has flattered them wondrously, concealing what is mournful in life, showing them a beautiful man. Everything rushes after him, applauding, and flies off following his triumphal chariot. Great world poet they name him, soaring high above all other geniuses in the world, as the eagle soars above the other high fliers. At the mere mention of his name, young ardent hearts are filled with trembling, responsive tears shine in all eyes...No one equals him in powerhe is God! But such is not the lot, and other is the destiny of the writer who has dared to call forth all that is before our eyes every moment and which our indifferent eyes do not seeall the stupendous mire of trivia in which our life in entangled, the whole depth of cold, fragmented, everyday characters that swarm over our often bitter and boring earthly path, and with the firm strength of his implacable chisel dares to present them roundly and vividly before the eyes of all people! It is not for him to win people's applause, not for him to behold the grateful tears and unanimous rapture of the souls he has stirred; no sixteenyearold girl will come flying to meet him with her head in a whirl and heroic enthusiasm; it is not for him to forget himself in the sweet enchantment of sounds he himself has evoked; it is not for him, finally, to escape contemporary judgment, hypocritically callous contemporary judgment, which will call insignificant and mean the creations he has fostered, will allot him a contemptible corner in the ranks of writers who insult mankind, will ascribe to him the quality of the heroes he has portrayed, will deny him heart, and soul, and the divine flame of talent. For contemporary judgment does not recognize that equally wondrous are the glasses that observe the sun and those that look at the movement of inconspicuous insect; for contemporary judgment does not recognize that much depth of soul is needed to light up the picture drawn from contemptible life and elevate it into a pearl of creation; for contemporary judgment does not recognize that lofty ecstatic laughter is worthy to stand beside the lofty lyrical impulse, and that a whole abyss separates it from the antics of the streetfair clown! This contemporary judgment does not recognize; and will turn it all into a reproach and abuse of the unrecognized writer; with no sharing, no response, no sympathy, like a familyless wayfarer, he will be left alone in the middle of the road. Grim is his path, and bitterly he will feel his solitude. ”
- Nikolai Gogol- Copy
“ Everywhere across whatever sorrows of which our life is woven, some radiant joy will gaily flash past. ”
- Nikolai Gogol- Copy
- 3.5K
“ It's the most righteous, which of course is not the same thing as the most profitable. ”
- Nikolai Gogol- Copy
- 1.3K
“ Turn round, my boy! How ridiculous you look! What sort of a priest's cassock have you got on? Does everybody at the academy dress like that? ”
- Nikolai Gogol- Copy
- 593
“ Always think of what is useful and not what is beautiful. Beauty will come of its own accord. ”
- Nikolai Gogol- Copy
- 2K
“ Turn round, my boy! How ridiculous you look! What sort of a priest's cassock have you got on? Does everybody at the academy dress like that? ”
- Nikolai Gogol- Copy
- 1.8K
“ The experience of ages has shown that a man who works on the land is purer, nobler, higher, and more moral... Agriculture should be at the basis of everything. That's my idea. ”
- Nikolai Gogol- Copy
- 3.5K
“ The experience of ages has shown that a man who works on the land is purer, nobler, higher, and more moral... Agriculture should be at the basis of everything. That's my idea. ”
- Nikolai Gogol- Copy
- 519
“ We ought to thank God for that. Yes, the man who tills the land is more worthy of respect than any. ”
- Nikolai Gogol- Copy
- 144
“ They're thinking of turning the peasant into an educated man. Why, first of all they should make him a good and prosperous farmer and then he'll learn all that is necessary for him to know. ”
- Nikolai Gogol- Copy
- 1K
“ I am fated to journey hand in hand with my strange heroes and to survey the surging immensity of life, to survey it through the laughter that all can see and through the tears unseen and unknown by anyone. ”
- Nikolai Gogol- Copy
- 2.6K
“ It is no use to blame the looking glass if your face is awry. ”
- Nikolai Gogol- Copy
- 3.2K
“ Turn round, my boy! How ridiculous you look! What sort of a priest's cassock have you got on? Does everybody at the academy dress like that? ”
- Nikolai Gogol- Copy
- 3.5K
“ They're thinking of turning the peasant into an educated man. Why, first of all they should make him a good and prosperous farmer and then he'll learn all that is necessary for him to know. ”
- Nikolai Gogol- Copy
- 2.4K
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