A poem is a verbal artifact which must be as skillfully and solidly constructed as a table or a motorcycle.

Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.

Water is the soul of the Earth.

We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don't know.

We would rather be ruined than changed. We would rather die in our dread than climb the cross of the moment and let our illusions die.

Civilizations should be measured by the degree of diversity attained and the degree of unity retained.

Herds of reindeer move across Miles and miles of golden moss

All sins tend to be addictive, and the terminal point of addiction is damnation.

'Healing,' Papa would tell me, 'is not a science, but the intuitive art of wooing nature.'

Few people take an interest in Iceland, but in those few the interest is passionate.

No good opera plot can be sensible, for people do not sing when they are feeling sensible.

In politics, nothing good ever comes from the unexpected.

The difference between appreciation and flattery? That is simple. One is sincere and the other insincere. One comes from the heart out

I often write about reconciling. Reconciling, or maybe half-reconciling between antagonists, between people who are deadly enemies.

Investing is for wealth preservation, not wealth creation, so first you have to make wealth.

To play well, you need good players, but a good player almost always has the problem of a lack of efficiency. He always wants to do things prettier than strictly necessary.

We've all seen great actors and actresses who are missing a certain chemistry. And it's not about getting along or not getting along.

A heavy or progressive or graduated income tax is necessary for the proper development of Communism.

Like the Bible, Stanislavsky's basic texts on acting can be quoted to any purpose.

The harp is an insipid instrument--no good for dancing, feasting, or marching, only for sitting primly in a parlor or on a cloud.

When I was 19 years old, I was the number one star of the world for two years. When I was 40, nobody wanted me.