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John Ashbery Quotes

Poet

John Ashbery is an influential American poet born on July 28, 1927. Known for his innovative poetry style and rich imagination, his work has had a profound impact on postmodern poetry.

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All Life Inspirational Inspirational Life Thinking Way Knows People Poetry Want Ifs May Moments Writing Past Poet Seems Art Beautiful Certain Doe

Famous John Ashbery Quotes

“We might realize that the present moment may be one of an eternal or sempiternal series of moments, all of which will resemble it because, in some ways, they are the present, and won't in other ways, because the present will be the past by that time.”

Way May Moments Might Past Realizing Eternal Series Present Moment

Author:John Ashbery

“Sometimes a musical phrase would perfectly sum up The mood of a moment. One of those lovelorn sonatas For wind instruments was riding past on a solemn white horse. Everybody wondered who the new arrival was.”

Sometimes Moments Past White Music Wind Musician Horse Instruments Musical Mood Phrases Riding Solemn Arrivals White Horse Sonatas New Arrivals Wind Instruments

Book:Selected poems

Source: Selected poems

“It is because everything is relative That we shall never see in that sphere of pure wisdom and Entertainment much more than groping shadows of an incomplete Former existence so close it burns like the mouth that Closes down over all your effort like the moment Of death”

Moments Wisdom Death Effort Existence Pure Mouths Shadow Entertainment Former Relative Spheres Incomplete

Book:John Ashbery, Lee Harwood, Tom Raworth

Source: John Ashbery, Lee Harwood, Tom Raworth

“Things can harden meaningfully in the moment of indecision”

Moments Indecision

Book:Selected poems

Source: Selected poems

“This whole moment is the groin Of a borborygmic giant who even now Is rolling over on us in his sleep.”

Life Inspirational Whole Moments Sleep Inspirational Life Giants Rolling Rolling Over

Book:Selected poems

Source: Selected poems

“The soul is not a soul, Has no secret, is small, and it fits Its hollow perfectly: its room, our moment of attention.”

Life Soul Moments Rooms Secret Attention Fit Hollow

Book:Selected poems

Source: Selected poems

About the Author

Born: July 28, 1927
Known for: Poet
Quotes: 97

Books & Sources

Selected poemsRelated source material

A Wave: PoemsRelated source material

Shadow train: poemsRelated source material

John Ashbery, Lee Harwood, Tom RaworthRelated source material

Notes from the Air: Selected Later PoemsRelated source material

Self-Portrait in a Convex MirrorRelated source material

Some TreesRelated source material

The Tennis Court Oath: A Book of PoemsRelated source material

Flow ChartRelated source material

Reported sightings: art chronicles, 1957-1987Related source material

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