Nikolai Gogol

"The longer and more carefully we look at a funny story, the sadder it becomes."

"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."

"Two turtle doves will show theeWhere my cold ashes lieAnd sadly murmuring tell theeHow in tears I did die"