When a writer is born into a family, the family is finished.

Human material seems to have one major defect: it does not like to be considered merely as human material. It finds it hard to endure the feeling that it must resign itself to passive acceptance of changes introduced from above.

Evil grows and bears fruit, which is understandable, because it has logic and probability on its side and also, of course, strength. The resistance of tiny kernels of good, to which no one grants the power of causing far-reaching consequences, is entirely mysterious, however. Such seeming nothingness not only lasts but contains within itself enormous energy which is revealed gradually.

I have defined poetry as a 'passionate pursuit of the Real.

Consolation Calm down. Both your sins and your good deeds will be lost in oblivion.

It is impossible to communicate to people who have not experienced it the undefinable menace of total rationalism.

The purpose of poetry is to remind us / how difficult it is to remain just one person.