I have always made my own rules, in poetry as in life - though I have tried of late to cooperate more with my family. I do, however, believe that without order or pattern poetry is useless.

There is far too much literary criticism of the wrong kind. That is why I never could have survived as an academic.

There comes a time when you have to trust your own judgment, when you must close your eyes and let your instinct rule you.

I don't like poetry that just slaps violent words on a canvas, as it were.

Poets should ignore most criticism and get on with making poetry.

Blake has always been a favorite, the lyrics, not so much the prophetic books, but I suppose Yeats influenced me more as a young poet, and the American, Robert Frost.

I married a young Englishman in Cambridge in 1955 and have lived in Britain every since.