The best way for me to learn more about language, English in particular, is to practice it in the many ways it can inform my understanding. For me, there is no better way to practice than writing poetry. Shakespeare's influence has always been strong, and his poetry, his imagery and motifs, structure and form, and his ability to strike universal chords have all left an impression, a kind of cicatrix. Other poets continue to shape and reshape my understanding of language, as well; they serve to inspire, and via that inspiration, something new comes out of it. Here are selected poems I have written that have taught me something. And if they happen to incite your imagination, too, then all the better.