Every American poet feels that the whole responsibility for contemporary poetry has fallen upon his shoulders, that he is a litera...ry aristocracy of one.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
As a poet there is only one political duty, and that is to defend one's language against corruption. When it is corrupted, people ...lose faith in what they hear and this leads to violence.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
No poet or novelist wishes he were the only one who ever lived, but most of them wish they were the only one alive, and quite a nu...mber fondly believe their wish has been granted.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
It is a sad fact about our culture that a poet can earn much more money writing or talking about his art than he can by practicing... it.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
I cannot accept the doctrine that in poetry there is a "suspension of belief." A poet must never make a statement simply because i...t is sounds poetically exciting; he must also believe it to be true.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Saturday mornings we listened to Red Lantern & his undersea folk. At 11, Let's Pretend/& we did/& I, the poet, still do, Than...k God!LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
The poet is like the prince of the clouds Who haunts the tempest and laughs at the archer;... Exiled on the ground in the midst of jeers, His giant's wings prevent him from walking.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »