Art Quote by John Ashbery
“And we may be led, then, upward through more Powerful forms of poetry, past columns With peeling posters on them, to the country of indifference. Meanwhile if the swell diapasons, blooms Unhappily and too soon, the little people are nonetheless real.”
About This Quote
Source Poem: "The Country of Indifference" by John Ashbery, 1975
Poetry can lift us beyond mundane images toward deeper, indifferent realms, yet the small, real people persist amid fleeting beauty.
In simple terms: Poetry elevates but real people remain.
Key Takeaway
Notice the contrast between lofty art and everyday reality.
Themes
art
perception
reality
Mood
contemplative
melancholy
Type
literary
reflective
When to use this quote
- gallery visits
- creative writing
- urban observation
- photography
Key Concepts
modernism
existentialism
Questions to Reflect On
- How does elevated language affect our view of ordinary life?
- What is the value of focusing on small, real people?
A Different Perspective
Art may obscure rather than clarify truth.
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