Fallow periods are a feature of almost every poet’s practice. Sometimes procrastination, or balking, out of fear; sometimes the result of a lack of faith in the outcome, or in the endeavor itself; and sometimes an active choice, these fallow periods can be fraught or can be useful. Four quite different poets—in backgrounds, ages, and approaches—discuss how silences have figured in their writing lives and, in some cases, have been used to their works’ advantage.