Edward Hirsch Great Quotations

I aspire to a poetry of great formal integrity, deep passion and high intellect, and I have many models for how to do that.

I come from Chicago, and the landscape of the Midwest has always meant a great deal to me.

I find great consolation in having a lot of poetry books around. I believe that writing poetry and reading it are deeply intertwined. I've always delighted in the company of the poets I've read.

There has never been a great poet who wasn't also a great reader of poetry.

There have always been great defenses of poetry, and I've tried to write mine, and I think all of my work and criticism is a defense of poetry to try and keep something alive in poetry.