His gift carried one condition. He said La Brea could only be used for scientific work.

VOA: special.2010.04.07

Knowing what iambic pentameter is, is not a gift of birth, but rather something that comes through a little bit of practice, which means we have to work at it a little bit.

没有谁是生来就知道抑扬五音步格诗，是需要努力才能知道的，这说明我们必须在这个上面花点功夫。

耶鲁公开课 - 现代诗歌课程节选