“My whole life has been pledged to this meeting with you...”

“I loved you: and, it may be, from my soulThe former love has never gone away,But let it not recall to you my dole;I wish not sadden you in any way.I loved you silently, without hope, fully,In diffidence, in jealousy, in pain;I loved you so tenderly and truly,As let you else be loved by any man. ”

“The wondrous moment of our meeting... Still I remember you appear Before me like a vision fleeting, A beauty's angel pure and clear. In hopeless ennui surrounding The worldly bustle, to my ear For long your tender voice kept sounding, For long in dreams came features dear. Time passed. Unruly storms confounded Old dreams, and I from year to year Forgot how tender you had sounded, Your heavenly features once so dear. My backwoods days dragged slow and quiet -- Dull fence around, dark vault above -- Devoid of God and uninspired, Devoid of tears, of fire, of love. Sleep from my soul began retreating, And here you once again appear Before me like a vision fleeting, A beauty's angel pure and clear. In ecstasy my heart is beating, Old joys for it anew revive; Inspired and God-filled, it is greeting The fire, and tears, and love alive.”

“I have outlasted all desire,My dreams and I have grown apart;My grief alone is left entire,The gleamings of an empty heart.The storms of ruthless dispensationHave struck my flowery garland numb,I live in lonely desolationAnd wonder when my end will come.Thus on a naked tree-limb, blastedBy tardy winter's whistling chill,A single leaf which has outlastedIts season will be trembling still.”

“If you but knew the flames that burn in me which I attempt to beat down with my reason.”

“I saw Derzhavin only once in my life but shall never forget that occasion. It was in 1815 at a public examination in the Lyceum. When we boys learned Derzhavin was coming, all of us grew excited. Delvig went out on the stairs to wait for him and kiss his hand, the hand that had written 'The Waterfall.' Derzhavin arrived. Derzhavin entered the vestibule, and Delvig heard him ask the janitor: 'Where is the privy here, my good fellow?' This prosaic question disenchanted Delvig, who canceled his intent and returned to the reception hall. Delvig told me the story with wonderful bonhomie and good humor.”

“But even friendship like our heroes'Exist no more; for we've outgrownAll sentiments and deem men zeroes--Except of course ourselves alone.We all take on Napoleon's features,And millions of our fellow creaturesAre nothing more to us than tools...Since feelings are for freaks and fools.Eugene, of course, had keen perceptionsAnd on the whole despised mankind,Yet wasn't, like so many, blind;And since each rule permits exceptions,He did respect a noble few,And, cold himself, gave warmth its due.”