Poetry is one of the ancient arts, and it began as did all the fine arts, within the original wilderness of the earth.

A poet is, before anything else, a person who is passionately in love with language.

For better or worse, poetry is my life.

Music is closer to poetry than anything.

The beauty, the poetry of the fear in their eyes. I didn't mind going to jail for, what, five, six hours? It was absolutely worth it.

If you read quickly to get through a poem to what it means, you have missed the body of the poem.

As I got older, I really got into Tupac's poetry, his books and just learning about his life and what he was into.

Istanbul is inspiring because it has its own code of architecture, literature, poetry, music.

Poetry: the best words in the best order.

I have nothing to say, I am saying it, and that is poetry.

People want poetry. They need poetry. They get it. They don't want fancy work.

It is the hour to be drunken! to escape being the martyred slaves of time, be ceaselessly drunk. On wine, on poetry, or on virtue, as you wish.

I think the best American poetry is the poetry that utilizes the resources of poetry rather than exploits the defects or triumphs of the poet's personality.

Poetry and music are very good friends. Like mommies and daddies and strawberries and cream - they go together.

A lot of people think, 'I'll give acting or poetry or filmmaking a try. And if it doesn't work out I'll go get a law degree, do something else that's more practical.' For me I went the reverse way. I lived the back-up plan.

I sometimes talk about the making of a poem within the poem.

Distinctly American poetry is usually written in the context of one's geographic landscape, sometimes out of one's cultural myths, and often with reference to gender and race or ethnic origins.

The historical legacy of 'The Best American Poetry' is they've had very few editors who were not white. They've had very few instances where they've selected poems by non-white poets.

Meet some people who care about poetry the way you do. You'll have that readership. Keep going until you know you're doing work that's worthy. And then see what happens. That's my advice.

I like the beauty of Faulkner's poetry. But I don't like his themes, not at all.