Late Fire, Late Snow

"He is the most remarkable, I think, when the poet seems at most a witness; when the images, with their straightforward names, seem to appear on their own initiative; and when, from these images, some mood or thought gradually transpires."—Richard Wilbur

"Francis captures better than almost anyone a certain mood. It can't really be named, but is some indefinable blend of lonely integrity, philosophical pessimism, and temperamental gaiety."—David Graham

"He is so penetrating, delicate, and wise, one goes away without having said a word, merely grateful to have received so much."—Marianne Moore