“The German poet Novalis said that the eye is a ‘superficial’ organ. That is indeed partly true.”

“As Blake said, there is no competition between true poets.”

“Just because a poet said something didn’t mean it was true, only that it sounded good.”

“The Satan of the Italian and English poets may be poetic; but the German Satan is satanic; and thus one could say that Satan is a German invention.”

“When the poet said that for him poetry was not a purpose, but a passion, he was also expressing the feelings of the true scientist to his own field.”

“Where's the superficial? I was, and therefore am, dim, gloomy, a drag, unfashionable, unfanciable, and awkward. This doesn't seem like superficial to me. These aren't flesh wounds. These are life-threatening thrusts into the internal organs.”

“And muse on Nature with a poet's eye.”

“Poets are damned… but see with the eyes of angels.”

“Scientist alone is true poet.”

“He's a poet, he's a picker--
He's a prophet, he's a pusher--
He's a pilgrim and a preacher, and a problem when he's stoned--
He's a walkin' contradiction, partly truth and partly fiction,
Takin' ev'ry wrong direction on his lonely way back home.”