"The fact that something is in a rhymed form or in blank verse will not make it good poetry."

"Pound's translation of Chinese poetry was maybe the most important thing I read. Eliot a little bit later."

"Philip Larkin has a tough honesty and sense of humor that I find irresistible, as a contemporary poet."

"Some people swear by writing courses, but whether it really helps American poetry, I have doubts."

"My Dad, a small-town lawyer, was also named Paul. Until we lost him when I was 16, he was a gentle presence in my life. I like to think he'd be proud of me and my sister and brothers, because I'm sure proud of him and of where I come from, Janesville, Wisconsin."

"In modern war... you will die like a dog for no good reason."

"If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years, teach the people."

"To master the mind is to understand that the legacy we leave is written in the hearts of others."