so much depends upon a red wheel barrow glazed with rain water beside the white chickens.

It is difficult to get the news from poems, yet men die miserably every day for lack of what is found there.

The beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

It is not what you say that matters but the manner in which you say it; there lies the secret of the ages.

The job of the poet is to use language effectively, his own language, the only language which is to him authentic.

The weight of love Has buoyed me up Till my head Knocks against the sky.

As birds' wings beat the solid air without which none could fly so words freed by the imagination affirm reality by their flight.

It is not fair to be old, to put on a brown sweater.

There is nothing beginning nor end to the imagination but it delights in its own seasons reversing the usual order at will.

My first poem was a bolt from the blue … it broke a spell of disillusion and suicidal despondence. ... it filled me with soul satisfying joy.

Somewhere the sense makes copper roses steel roses — The rose carried weight of love but love is at an end — of roses It is at the edge of the petal that love waits.

Why when people are on their deathbed, they finally come to terms with life?

We cherish our friends not for their ability to amuse us but for ours to amuse them.

Vision remains vision until you focus, do the work, and bring it down to earth where it will do some good.

Children are naive-they trust everyone. School is bad enough, but, if you put a child anywhere in the vicinity of a church, you're asking for trouble.

When a man induces his wife to turn suspicious thoughts against her own father, then that is surely cause enough for resentment.

When we leave money in the hands of taxpayers, they buy things, they pay taxes, they grow government.

I just came in this morning with one goal; to make it back tonight, so I'm very excited for the final.

A really good style comes only when a man has become as good as he can be. Style is character. A good style cannot come from a bad undisciplined character.

Not taking criticism of your writing personally is an enormous step towards surviving the studio system.

If you only ever read one book in your life ... I highly recommend you keep your mouth shut.