To be a poet is a condition, not a profession. Robert Frost conditionpoetprofession Change image and share on social
To be a poet is a condition rather than a profession. Robert Graves conditionpoetprofession Change image and share on social
To be a poet is as serious, long-term and natural as the effort to be the best human you can be. To express something well is not a question of having a top-class education and understanding poetic forms: rather, it's a question of paying attention. Alice Oswald attentionclasseducation share on social
To be a poet, it's a challenge to do it in poverty, to do it in wealth. To do it in the academy, to do it in a relationship where you're happy. Everything changes the game. To do it in the awkward state of love, despair, dying. You just have to work it. Eileen Myles academyawkwardchallenge share on social
To be a police officer in New York requires so much more than just we, as a citizen, need to walk around. Your job is to put yourself in this place where a horrible event has happened and try to figure it out. That's what you do, day in and day out. You have to have a certain distance to it. You can't let yourself go too far into it. Bill Camp citizendaydistance share on social
To be a preacher requires two apparently contradictory qualities: confidence and humility. Timothy Radcliffe apparentlyconfidencecontradictory Change image and share on social
To be a prisoner means to be defined as a member of a group for whom the rules of what can be done to you, of what is seen as abuse of you, are reduced as part of the definition of your status. Catharine MacKinnon abusedefinedefinition Change image and share on social
To be a professional tennis player you need to put in these sort of hours. Guy Forget hourplayerprofessional Change image and share on social
To be a queen of a household is a powerful thing. Jill Scott householdpowerfulqueen Change image and share on social
To be a racing driver it's essential you have very good eyesight, and that's especially relevant at night. Your senses are heightened, you're travelling over 200mph, you need to focus on that 110-metre braking point and you have to have absolute faith and commitment in your driving. Allan McNish 200mphabsolutebrake share on social