Poetry is a religion without hope. The poet exhausts himself in its service, knowing that, in the long run, a masterpiece is nothing but the performance of a trained dog on very shaky ground.

Stupidity is always astounding, no matter how often one encounters it.

When a work appears to be ahead of its time, it is only the time that is behind the work.

Anything of any importance cannot help but be unrecognizable, since it bears no resemblance to anything already known.

Art produces ugly things which frequently become more beautiful with time. Fashion, on the other hand, produces beautiful things which always become ugly with time.

We must believe in luck. For how else can we explain the success of those we don't like?

Watch yourself all your life in a mirror and you'll see Death at work like bees in a glass hive.