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Poems seem to have a life of their own. They tell you when enough is enough.

I find a lot of poetry very disappointing, but I do have poets that I go back to. One book of poetry that I'd like to mention is 'The Exchange' by Sophie Cabot Black. Her poems are difficult without being too difficult.

Our poems will have failed if our readers are not brought by them beyond the poems.

I have to admit that I had a lot of problems with poetry.

I think my poems immediately come out of the sensuous and emotional experiences I have.

I work with a lot of young people who have poems that are changing their lives, that they're eager to talk about, but every now and then when I meet someone, maybe someone of my parents' generation, and I tell them that I write poetry, they'll begin to recite something that they memorized when they were in school that has never left them.

Sometimes you have a poem that you really want to write and it never happens.

I've been writing a lot of poetry recently. It helps me think and work things out.

I'm a failed poet. Reading poetry helps me to see the world differently, and I try to infuse my prose with figurative language, which goes against the trend in fiction.