“Literature is rooted to life, and although a work of art is great only because of its aesthetic importance, still its very aestheticism is conditioned by its sincerity and by the strength of its roots.”

Insisting that lasting art must draw strength from genuine life · Preface, Tendencies in Modern American Poetry

• Art
• Truth

“No contemporary criticism can make any such pretence.”

Recognising that the lasting reputation of art cannot be settled immediately · Preface, Tendencies in Modern American Poetry

• Art
• Time

“Every form is proper to poetry, so long as it is the sincere expression of a man's thought.”

Making sincerity rather than convention the measure of poetic form · Essay, Why We Should Read Poetry

• Poetry
• Truth