Robert > Recent Status Updates

Ashbery was a very important poet of the middle of the last century--he is difficult to read, and I occasionally find a poem that really resonates. I think I'll keep plugging away, and rotate him in and out as poet for a month.

Ashbery is a pretty obtuse poet--but I have a favorite poem--The Skaters in his book Rivers and Mountains.

ready to start chapter 35 "RM"

Have read the first two books--he is a surrealist poet, great images and the poems sound great when read alound, but it's difficult to get any idea what any given poem is about.

This book is fantastic—too bad its a zillion pages long. Anyway just finished the "chapters" on the Civil War (Steinbeck was a nurse) and Lincoln. Whitman's anthems are awesome!

This is really good--Whitman is a very happy poet, who really enjoys life. He is also gay, and writes poems about his lovers--but it is not Howl. I will put this aside for now and read Byron.