I think the best American poetry is the poetry that utilizes the resources of poetry rather than exploits the defects or triumphs of the poets personality. – Mark Strand
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. – Mark Strand
A life is not sufficiently elevated for poetry, unless, of course, the life has been made into an art. – Mark Strand
But I liked Yeats! That wild Irishman. I really loved his love of language, his flow. His chaotic ideas seemed to me just the right thing for a poet. Passion! He was always on the right side. He may be wrongheaded, but his heart was always on the right side. He wrote beautiful poetry. – Chinua Achebe