I think if a poet wanted to lead, he or she would want the message to be unequivocally clear and free of ambiguity. Whereas poetry is actually the home of ambiguity, ambivalence and uncertainty. Billy Collins ambiguityambivalenceclear Change image and share on social
The poem is not, as someone put it, deflective of entry. But the real question is, 'What happens to the reader once he or she gets inside the poem?' That's the real question for me, is getting the reader into the poem and then taking the reader somewhere, because I think of poetry as a kind of form of travel writing. Billy Collins deflectiveentryform share on social
I don't think anybody reads a book of poetry front to back. Editors and reviewers only. I don't think anybody else does. Billy Collins backbookeditor Change image and share on social
I don't live for poetry. I live far more than anybody else does. Charles Olson livepoetry Change image and share on social
You don't help people in your poems. I've been trying to help people all my life - that's my trouble. Charles Olson havelifepeople Change image and share on social
It is certain that at certain times talent entirely overcomes thought or poetry. John Singer Sargent overcomepoetrytalent Change image and share on social
Poetry can do a lot of things to people. I mean it can improve your imagination. It can take you to new places. It can give you this incredible form of verbal pleasure. Billy Collins formgiveimagination Change image and share on social
A poem is never finished, only abandoned. Paul Valery abandonfinishpoem Change image and share on social
The reason why we do maths is because it's like poetry. It's about patterns, and that really turned me on. It made me feel that maths was in tune with the other things I liked doing. Marcus du Sautoy feelmakemath Change image and share on social
I despair of ever writing excellent poetry. Isaac Rosenberg despairexcellentpoetry Change image and share on social