The poet does not fear death, not because he believes in the fantasy of heroes, but because death constantly visits his thoughts and is thus an image of a serene dialogue.

An exact poetic duplication of a man is for the poet a negation of the earth, an impossibility of being, even though his greatest desire is to speak to many men, to unite with them by means of harmonious verses about the truths of the mind or of things.

Religious power, which, as I have already said, frequently identifies itself with political power, has always been a protagonist of this bitter struggle, even when it seemingly was neutral.

Poetry is also the physical self of the poet, and it is impossible to separate the poet from his poetry.

Poetry is the revelation of a feeling that the poet believes to be interior and personal but which the reader recognizes as his own.

A poet clings to his own tradition and avoids internationalism.

The antagonism between the poet and the politician has generally been evident in all cultures.