“A fire-eater must eat fire even if he has to kindle it himself.”

“Behold how much wood is kindled by how small a fire, and the tongue is fire.”

“As soon go kindle fire with snow, as seek to quench the fire of love with words.”

“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.”

“He never described himself as a poet or his work as poetry. The fact that the lines do not come to the edge of the page is no guarantee. Poetry is a verdict, not an occupation. He hated to argue about the techniques of verse. The poem is a dirty, bloody, burning thing that has to be grabbed first with bare hands. Once the fire celebrated Light, the dirt Humility, the blood Sacrifice. Now the poets are professional fire-eaters, freelancing at any carnival. The fire goes down easily and honours no one in particular.”

“Thou wouldst as soon go kindle fire with snow as seek to quench the fire of love with words.”