First of all I think that poetry is very noble and I always have with me the sense of the nobility of poetry.

There's been no poet, no great poet in the history of poetry who hasn't also been a great reader of poetry. This is sometimes distressing to my students when I tell them this.

I just think that limits the kinds of experiences that people can have with poetry. But, poetry will survive; I don't worry about that. But, I do think that it may save fewer souls if people can't pay attention.

So, it's a continual process of trial and error and then I find things and I throw it out and start again, but I keep writing it over again.

I don't think poetry will die, but I think that poetry does demand a certain kind of attention to language.

I think fiction goes to poetry for the intensity of its use of language.

The mysterious thing about writing poetry is that when you're - when things are going poorly, when you're not thinking well, even making two sentences together is extremely hard and I just can't make the connections.