“The poem is sad because it is about the impossibility of ever knowing what it is to be sad.”
What this quote means
John Ashbery captures the paradox of sadness: we can never fully know or express it. The poem, in trying to grasp it, becomes sad through that very impossibility. This resonates with our experience of complex emotions, often elusive. It applies when we seek to understand our feelings or communicate them, acknowledging that some aspects of the soul remain mysterious.
How to apply it daily
When you feel a difficult emotion, write about it without trying to define it. Let the words mirror its mystery.
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