Wakefulness: Poems

About this book

Early in the title work of Wakefulness Ashbery writes: "Little by little the idea of the true way returned to me." Progressive awakenings occur in all of these poems. As we read each of our senses is engaged and we come to detect a search for spiritual revelations--in buildings churches homes trains and cars. Then suddenly we find ourselves back in the open pursuing the course to Baltimore and Bucharest to the zoo and the park to the past and future. As ever Ashberys wakeful digressions are wily comic heartbreaking and vertiginous.