PLANISPHERE: How John Ashbery anaesthetizes poetry
By Christopher Robinson
John Ashbery, Planisphere, HarperCollins, New York, 2009
John Ashbery’s latest offering, Planisphere, is, as we have come to expect, rubbish. There are some edible morsels, true enough (the titular poem quite nearly elicits an emotional response) but one must have the stomach to traverse the garbage heap in search of Ashbery’s protein-rich droppings.
3 people like this post.
September 21st, 2009 at 7:20 pm
My, how briefly you dismiss the work of America’s foremost poet. I might applaud your review as luxuriantly devoid of content, were I given to conversing with critics.
September 21st, 2009 at 7:35 pm
……….boobs
September 21st, 2009 at 7:40 pm
I find your metaphor imprecise. Are you suggesting that the ability to stomach the smell of garbage grants one the facility to eat shit?
September 21st, 2009 at 7:42 pm
You know, llbean, some boobs would have made this book more enjoyable.
September 21st, 2009 at 8:02 pm
Georges,
I think it’s more accurate to say that the work dismissed me, and readers in general. And as they say, Lepos quidam celeritasque et brevitas.
September 21st, 2009 at 8:05 pm
Theres probably more protein then you think. For instance, one can make a hoagie from an old hoagie, even if the bread has been turned to mush and washed away (like after a couple days of rain). First you take a bicicle tire and cut it and roll it the other way to make if flat. Then you cut it into six inch or footlong lengths and then put the meat into make a six inch or footlong hoagie (the meat usually stays solid even after its been raining). I saw a person eating just the meat part of a trash hoagie a few nights ago on 6th ave and 12th. This works if you have a protien only diet.
September 21st, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Marci,
I love a good metaphor, and I hence I welcome your insightful critique. You’re correct that my metahpor lacks precision and implies something quite strange. However, I must defend the image of droppings in relation to Ashbery’s process of assimilating experience and producing non-contextual “clumps” which he refers to as “poems.” If I must lose anything, the image of the garbage heap will be first to go.
September 21st, 2009 at 8:14 pm
Ivan,
I’m glad you’re brave enough to step forward and defend Ashbery, though I find your rambling, unanchored, allegoric “recipe” a bit too mimetic of Ashbery’s own methods to be palatable.
October 22nd, 2009 at 10:40 am
yo chris robison i dont know who jon assberry (lol) is but this shit was tight it reminded me of the seen in jurassic park where that dude goes through the dino poop and gets his hand all covered in shit when i saw that at the movies theater i almost puked it was so nasty (how do yall think they did that in the movie? was it special affects?)
October 22nd, 2009 at 12:55 pm
(not) Brent,
I’m familiar with the scene to which you’re referring. Yes, I do believe it was a form of special effects. Are you suggesting that it seems like a waste to employ special effects to recreate feces, when real feces is perfectly available and more directly affecting to the actors involved?
October 23rd, 2009 at 5:48 am
yo i dont know what feces is but i thought maybe they got real dino poo from a dragon or smthing thats real rather then a dino
October 23rd, 2009 at 6:21 am
or a tarrasque
October 23rd, 2009 at 10:55 pm
Just because Ashbery has written some of the best poems of the last century doesn’t mean his poorer (more recent) work shouldn’t be torn limb from limp limb
October 24th, 2009 at 5:40 am
hey philobart what do u think tarrasque poo smells like I think prolly like poo from a rly healthy athlete like that jillian chick from biggest looser
October 25th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
“Just because Ashbery has written some of the best poems of the last century”
–According to whom? He can’t even rhyme decently when he tries. Little skill, big vocabulary, small mind. O’Hara’s much better; it’s as if Ashbery became the “academic” O’Hara. Ashbery says nothing rather well for a time, but the investment proves pointless, as the tantalizing appearance of meaningful substance nearly always steps back from itself. He dances with himself.
October 26th, 2009 at 5:04 am
man yall have some strong feelings on ashby