Reading Ashbery, which I did in the same Library of the Americas edition, tends to make me think of Orwell's praise of limpidity in "Politics and the English Language": I would say that limpidity is not a primary virtue of Ashbery's work. This is also true of a poet like Wallace Stevens, reminding me usefully that great art need not be limpid: "Il ne s'agit pas de comprendre, il suffit d'aimer", said Monet. And yet, my doubts remain about this direction in verse and its achievements. For what it's worth: since the Library of the Americas, for one, is obviously happy with this art.
"Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror" I thought was tremendous - a monument - when I last read it.
Cheers,
John
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