A poet must be a psychologist, but a secret one: he should know and feel the roots of phenomena but present only the phenomena themselves in full bloom or as they fade away.
IVAN TURGENEVDeath is like a fisherman, who, having caught a fish in his net, leaves it in the water for a time; the fish continues to swim about, but all the while the net is round it, and the fisherman will snatch it out in his own good time.
More Ivan Turgenev Quotes
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A son is like a lopped off branch. As a falcon he comes when he wills and goes where he lists.
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Oh, gentle feelings, soft sounds, the goodness and the gradual stilling of a soul that has been moved; the melting happiness of the first tender, touching joys of love- where are you?
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I believe love produces a certain flowering of the whole personality which nothing else can achieve.
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What did I hope for, what did I expect, what rich future did I foresee, when the phantom of my first love, rising up for an instant, barely called forth one sigh, one mournful sentiment?
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Death’s an old joke, but each individual encounters it anew.
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If we wait for the moment when everything, absolutely everything is ready, we shall never begin.
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What’s important is that twice two is four and all the rest’s nonsense.
IVAN TURGENEV -
Who among us has the strength to oppose petty egoism, those petty good feelings, pity and remorse?
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It was only the vulgarly mediocre that repelled her.
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I never started from ideas but always from character.
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The past was a dream wasn’t it? And who ever remembers dreams?
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You may live a long while with some people and be on friendly terms with them and never speak openly with them from your soul.
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Take what you can yourself, and don’t let others get you into their hands; to belong to oneself, that is the whole thing in life.
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There are some moments in life, some feelings; one can only point to them and pass by.
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Nothing is worse and more hurtful than a happiness that comes too late.
IVAN TURGENEV






