John Ashbery’s Status as a Modern Poet Shown Through Vendler

In accordance with many differing authors, modern, post-theological poets, in an arena where God is supposedly dead or running things inadequately, have many assorted roles. In her essay, “Keats and the Use of Poetry,” Helen Vendler shows that poets may write to display historical themes, to use representation, “an incarnation of the passions,” to teach others virtues, or simply to maintain the beauty of verse (Vendler 117). However, poets are not firmly held to these styles …showed first 75 words of 1720 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1720 total…far away, and hacks his way through the “jungle,” but never seems to find the perfect path. Vendler outlines many conditions for poets in a post-theological world, and in some instances, Ashbery fails to fulfill them; alas, even though he has no definitive place or ideology, he still abstractly represents Vendler’s conditions. He is a poet struggling to find a place in a world of duality and juxtaposition, and his poetry represents that war.