The most important things are the hardest to say because words diminish them.

History does not merely touch on language, but takes place in it.

Poetry is play. I’d even rather have you think of it as a sport. For instance, like football.

Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks.

French is the language that turns dirt into romance.

Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal.

Don’t write love poems when you’re in love. Write them when you’re not in love.

You will never be alone with a poet in your pocket.

Poetry is the achievement of the synthesis of hyacinths and biscuits.

It was at that age, that poetry came in search of me.

For next to being a great poet is the power of understanding one.

Poetry might be defined as the clear expression of mixed feelings.

Poetry, I feel, is a tyrannical discipline.

Poetry comes from the highest happiness or the deepest sorrow.

Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and thought has found words.

A poet’s autobiography is his poetry. Anything else is just a footnote.

Poetry is the deification of reality.

All bad poetry springs from genuine feeling.

The only true writing that came through during the war was in poetry.