I've been very lucky in my poetry teachers. While differing in philosophy, approach, and style, almost all of them have been enthusiastic and committed (and only one or two of them should have been committed - but that's another story). Many of them are still my friends, and I carry their lessons regarding craft and disinterestedness (in the Enlightenment sense) to the page with me every time I write.
Here's a fun clip of poet Philip Levine talking about two of his poetry teachers, Robert Lowell and John Berryman.
