Air Quote by John Ashbery
“The evening light was like honey in the trees When you left me and walked to the end of the street Where the sunset abruptly ended. The wedding-cake drawbridge lowered itself To the fragile forget-me-not flower. You climbed aboard. Burnt horizons suddenly paved with golden stones, Dreams I had, including suicide, Puff out the hot-air balloon now. It is bursting, it is about to burst”
About This Quote
Source Poem: “The Evening Light,” John Ashbery, 1990
The poem blends surreal imagery with themes of loss, transition, and fleeting hope, using natural and constructed symbols.
In simple terms: It mixes vivid images to explore change and longing.
Key Takeaway
Embrace impermanence and find beauty in endings.
Themes
loss
transition
hope
impermanence
Mood
melancholic
hopeful
Type
literary
inspirational
When to use this quote
- grief processing
- creative writing
- mindfulness practice
Key Concepts
surrealism
symbolism
existentialism
Questions to Reflect On
- What does the “burnt horizons” image evoke for you?
- How do you interpret the “golden stones” metaphor?
A Different Perspective
Complex language may obscure accessibility.
![“Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs [Less Developed Countries]?... I think the economic logic behind dumping a load of toxic waste in the lowest wage country is impeccable and we should face up to that... I’ve always…” quote by Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ac4/lawrence-summers-16940_air_just-between-you-and-me-shouldn-t-the-wo_4703.jpg)
![“[A]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air. And be careful what you swallow.” quote by Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/da8/dr-seuss-1224_advice_a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-f_6806.jpg)