[P]oetry… the spontaneous fusion of hitherto unrelated words. Such things must take place in your own head, by your own chemistry. – Marie Emilie Gilchrist (1893–1989), Writing Poetry: Suggestions for Young

A poet looks at the world the way a man looks at a woman. – Wallace Stevens, Opus Posthumous, 1957

Poetry is an art, and chief of the fine art the easiest to dabble in, the hardest in which to reach true excellence. – Edmund Clarence Stedman

Write verse, not poetry. The public wants verse. If you have a talent for poetry, then dont by any means mother it, but try your hand at verse. – Robert W. Service