Mark Strand

A great many people seem to think writing poetry is worthwhile, even though it pays next to nothing and is not as widely read as it should be.

A life is not sufficiently elevated for poetry, unless, of course, the life has been made into an art.

And at least in poetry you should feel free to lie. That is, not to lie, but to imagine what you want, to follow the direction of the poem.

And yet, in a culture like ours, which is given to material comforts, and addicted to forms of entertainment that offer immediate gratification, it is surprising that so much poetry is written.

I believe that all poetry is formal in that it exists within limits, limits that are either inherited by tradition or limits that language itself imposes.

I certainly can't speak for all cultures or all societies, but it's clear that in America, poetry serves a very marginal purpose. It's not part of the cultural mainstream.

I think the best American poetry is the poetry that utilizes the resources of poetry rather than exploits the defects or triumphs of the poet's personality.

I would say that American poetry has always been a poetry of personal testimony.

Poetry is something that happens in universities, in creative writing programs or in English departments.

Poetry is, first and last, language - the rest is filler.

Pain is filtered in a poem so that it becomes finally, in the end, pleasure.

Usually a life turned into a poem is misrepresented.

It's very hard to write humor.

The future is always beginning now.