John Ashbery Quotes

Top 59 wise famous quotes and sayings by John Ashbery

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John Ashbery Famous Quotes & Sayings

Discover top inspirational quotes from John Ashbery on Wise Famous Quotes.

John Ashbery quotes: The poem is sad because it wants to be yours, and cannot be. The poem is sad because it wants to be yours, and cannot be.
John Ashbery quotes: You have to try to imagine an ideal reader, who's neither stupid nor able to know what your thoughts are. You have to try to imagine an ideal reader, who's neither stupid nor able to know what your thoughts are.
John Ashbery quotes: Things can harden meaningfully in the moment of indecision Things can harden meaningfully in the moment of indecision
John Ashbery quotes: As if I were only a flower after all and not the map of the country in which it grows. As if I were only a flower after all and not the map of the country in which it grows.
John Ashbery quotes: I like poems you can tack all over with a hammer and there are no hollow places. I like poems you can tack all over with a hammer and there are no hollow places.
John Ashbery quotes: I don't want to read what is going to slide down easily; there has to be some crunch, a certain amount of resilience. I don't want to read what is going to slide down easily; there has to be some crunch, a certain amount of resilience.
John Ashbery quotes: The music brought us what it seemed / We had long desired, but in a form / so rarefied there was no emptiness of sensation The music brought us what it seemed / We had long desired, but in a form / so rarefied there was no emptiness of sensation
John Ashbery quotes: It was always November there. It was always November there.
John Ashbery quotes: Poetry is mostly hunches. Poetry is mostly hunches.
John Ashbery quotes: Expecting rain, the profile of a dayWears its soul like a hat ... Expecting rain, the profile of a day
Wears its soul like a hat ...
John Ashbery quotes: I could have made a casserole out of these things, but you always say you like to know what you're eating. I could have made a casserole out of these things, but you always say you like to know what you're eating.
John Ashbery quotes: It is written in the Book of Usable MinutesThat all things have their center in their dying ... It is written in the Book of Usable Minutes
That all things have their center in their dying ...
John Ashbery quotes: The summer demands and takes away too much. /But night, the reserved, the reticent, gives more than it takes The summer demands and takes away too much. /But night, the reserved, the reticent, gives more than it takes
John Ashbery quotes: I want a bedroom near the sky, an astrologer's caveWhere I can fashion eclogues that are chaste and grave. I want a bedroom near the sky, an astrologer's cave
Where I can fashion eclogues that are chaste and grave.
John Ashbery quotes: Ambiguity supposes eventual resolution of itself whereas certitude implies further ambiguity. Ambiguity supposes eventual resolution of itself whereas certitude implies further ambiguity.
John Ashbery quotes: And so we turn the page over. To think of starting. This is all there is. And so we turn the page over. To think of starting. This is all there is.
John Ashbery quotes: Just when I thought there wasn't room enough for another thought in my head, I had this great idea - Just when I thought there wasn't room enough
for another thought in my head, I had this great idea -
John Ashbery quotes: The gray glaze of the past attacks all know-how ... The gray glaze of the past attacks all know-how ...
John Ashbery quotes: I don't look on poetry as closed works. I feel they're going on all the time in my head and I occasionally snip off a length. I don't look on poetry as closed works. I feel they're going on all the time in my head and I occasionally snip off a length.
John Ashbery quotes: The sun fades like the spreadingOf a peacock's tail, as though twilightMight be read as a warning to those desperateFor easy solutions. The sun fades like the spreading
Of a peacock's tail, as though twilight
Might be read as a warning to those desperate
For easy solutions.
John Ashbery quotes: I am often asked why I write, and I don't know reallyI just want to. I am often asked why I write, and I don't know really
I just want to.
John Ashbery quotes: I feel that poetry is going on all the time inside, an underground stream. I feel that poetry is going on all the time inside, an underground stream.
John Ashbery quotes: Reading is a pleasure, but to finish reading, to come to the blank space at the end, is also a pleasure. Reading is a pleasure, but to finish reading, to come to the blank space at the end, is also a pleasure.
John Ashbery quotes: Much that is beautiful must be discarded So that we may resemble a taller Impression of ourselves. Much that is beautiful must be discarded So that we may resemble a taller Impression of ourselves.
John Ashbery quotes: Imagine a painter crucified by his subject! Imagine a painter crucified by his subject!
John Ashbery quotes: Placed in a puzzling light, and moving,Our days put on such reticenceThese accents seem their own defense. Placed in a puzzling light, and moving,
Our days put on such reticence
These accents seem their own defense.
John Ashbery quotes: The winter does what it can for its children. The winter does what it can for its children.
John Ashbery quotes: Try a little subtlety in self-defense; it'll help, you'll find out. Try a little subtlety in self-defense; it'll help, you'll find out.
John Ashbery quotes: The soul is not a soul,Has no secret, is small, and it fitsIts hollow perfectly: its room, our moment of attention. The soul is not a soul,
Has no secret, is small, and it fits
Its hollow perfectly: its room, our moment of attention.
John Ashbery quotes: Walter Pater said that all the arts aspire to the condition of music, but I've always felt that music aspires to the condition of words. Walter Pater said that all the arts aspire to the condition of music, but I've always felt that music aspires to the condition of words.
John Ashbery quotes: A little bunny or some kind of ferret was probablythere too, and bore witness as only rodents can. A little
bunny or some kind of ferret was probably
there too, and bore witness as only rodents can.
John Ashbery quotes: All beauty, resonance, integrity,Exist by deprivation or logicOf strange position. All beauty, resonance, integrity,
Exist by deprivation or logic
Of strange position.
John Ashbery quotes: There is the view that poetry should improve your life. I think people confuse it with the Salvation Army. There is the view that poetry should improve your life. I think people confuse it with the Salvation Army.
John Ashbery quotes: I'm heading for a clean-named placelike Wisconsin, and mad as a jack-o'-lantern, will get therewithout help and nosy proclivities. I'm heading for a clean-named place
like Wisconsin, and mad as a jack-o'-lantern, will get there
without help and nosy proclivities.
John Ashbery quotes: I tried each thing, only some were immortal and free. I tried each thing, only some were immortal and free.
John Ashbery quotes: The soul establishes itself. But how far can it swim out through the eyes And still return safely to its nest? The soul establishes itself. But how far can it swim out through the eyes And still return safely to its nest?
John Ashbery quotes: I write with experiences in mind, but I don't write about them, I write out of them. I write with experiences in mind, but I don't write about them, I write out of them.
John Ashbery quotes: Silly girls your heads full of boys Silly girls your heads full of boys
John Ashbery quotes: You stupefied me. We waxed,Carnivores, late and alightIn the beaded winter. All was ominous, luminous. You stupefied me. We waxed,
Carnivores, late and alight
In the beaded winter. All was ominous, luminous.
John Ashbery quotes: I lost my ridiculous accent without acquiring another I lost my ridiculous accent without acquiring another
John Ashbery quotes: In the evening Everything has a schedule, if you can find out what it is. In the evening
Everything has a schedule, if you can find out what it is.
John Ashbery quotes: A yak is a prehistoric cabbage; of that, we can be sure. A yak is a prehistoric cabbage; of that, we can be sure.
John Ashbery quotes: Where then shall hope and fear their objects find? Where then shall hope and fear their objects find?
John Ashbery quotes: We live our lives, made up of a great quantity of / isolated instants / So as to be lost at the heart of a multitude of things. We live our lives, made up of a great quantity of / isolated instants / So as to be lost at the heart of a multitude of things.
John Ashbery quotes: Each servant stamps the reader with a look. Each servant stamps the reader with a look.
John Ashbery quotes: Darkness fell like a wet sponge. Darkness fell like a wet sponge.
John Ashbery quotes: Leaves around the door are penciled losses. Leaves around the door are penciled losses.
John Ashbery quotes: Life is beautiful. He who reads thatAs in the window of some distant, speeding trainKnows what he wants, and what will befall. Life is beautiful. He who reads that
As in the window of some distant, speeding train
Knows what he wants, and what will befall.
John Ashbery quotes: Once a happy old man One can never change the core of things, and light burns you the harder for it. Once a happy old man One can never change the core of things, and light burns you the harder for it.
John Ashbery quotes: until only infinity remained of beauty until only infinity remained of beauty
John Ashbery quotes: Part of the strength of Pollock and Rothko's art, in fact, is this doubt as to whether art may be there at all. Part of the strength of Pollock and Rothko's art, in fact, is this doubt as to whether art may be there at all.
John Ashbery quotes: This whole moment is the groinOf a borborygmic giant who even nowIs rolling over on us in his sleep. This whole moment is the groin
Of a borborygmic giant who even now
Is rolling over on us in his sleep.
John Ashbery quotes: Death is a new office building filled with modern furniture,A wise thing, but which has no purpose for us. Death is a new office building filled with modern furniture,
A wise thing, but which has no purpose for us.
John Ashbery quotes: Once you've lived in France, you don't want to live anywhere else, including France. Once you've lived in France, you don't want to live anywhere else, including France.
John Ashbery quotes: To the poet as a basement quilt, but perhapsTo some reader a latticework of regrets ... To the poet as a basement quilt, but perhaps
To some reader a latticework of regrets ...
John Ashbery quotes: Transgress. In a word, be other than yourself in turning into your love-soaked opposite. Transgress. In a word, be other than yourself in turning into your love-soaked opposite.
John Ashbery quotes: In the increasingly convincing darknessThe words become palpable, like a fruitThat is too beautiful to eat. In the increasingly convincing darkness
The words become palpable, like a fruit
That is too beautiful to eat.
John Ashbery quotes: The first year was like icing. Then the cake started to show through ... The first year was like icing. Then the cake started to show through ...
John Ashbery quotes: Not until it starts to stink does the inevitable happen. Not until it starts to stink does the inevitable happen.

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