“Poems are a hotline to our hearts, and we forget this emotional power at our peril.”

“... each of us describes our existence by means of objects which are indifferent to us, which survive us, and which are then thrown back into the common stock from which they are soon gathered agai...”

“Those who say we should dismantle the role of Poet Laureate altogether, the trick they miss is that being called this thing, with the weight of tradition behind it, and with the association of the ...”

“I like eating out. I like buying beautiful paintings and being surrounded by beautiful things. I have to finance that life. I can barely afford a pension scheme because I don't make enough money.”

“I deeply adored my mum. She was an extraordinary person, even for the prejudice I'm likely to have. She was beautiful, amusing, a tremendous elaborator of things into comic proportions and extravag...”

“Poetry is at the centre of my life, too, emotionally speaking, and intellectually speaking - it's just that I'm one of those people who enjoy doing other stuff as well.”

“Some people think football [soccer] is a matter of life and death. I don't like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that.”

“Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit.”

“Your talent determines what you can do. Your motivation determines how much you are willing to do. Your attitude determines how well you do it.”

“No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.”

“I refused David Letterman's proposal of marriage for obvious reasons, but thanks for asking.”

“Why would I retire? Sit at home and watch TV? No thanks. I'd rather be out playing.”

“In a world where you can be anything, be kind.”

“The worst kind of oppression is when the victims think and talk in the language of their oppressors.”

“A random act of kindness, no matter how small, can make a tremendous impact on someone else's life.”