John Ashbery

“There is the view that poetry should improve your life. I think people confuse it with the Salvation Army.”
John Ashbery quote

“The poem is sad because it wants to be yours, and cannot be.”
John Ashbery quote

"Street Musicians" I am not sure if he is talking about a lost musician souls walking thought the city looking at past places he onced played. Then he notices what a crappy world he use to live in and how people have destroyed the natural resources in it.
"They Dream Only of America" is a poem I have no clue what to say. In the first part of the poem, I thought he was talking about Americans, then I read "the murderer's ash tray is more easily." This line makes me think he is talking about a increased murder rate. I am not sure I am getting any thing right about this author's poems.

After class I noticed I was going down the right path of his poems. I guess I understand his poems better than I think I do. I do see myself as a blue collar worker even though I have a college education. I have that romantic idea hard work will still get you the American dream.