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The Skaters

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In analyzing "The Skaters", critic Brian McHale states that the poem "appears to make sense locally" but instead "one encounters an intractable flux of verbal 'found objects,' shifting styles and registers, teasing literary allusions and echoes, fragmentary narrative episodes and descriptive scenes."
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Ashbery later described the poem as "A meditation on my childhood which was rather solitary" and he often associated his childhood not as a painful experience but one of boredom. Ashbery agreed with that boredom was formative to his art, similar in vein to the statement of Larry Rivers to fellow New
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when I was writing “The Skaters,” the lines became unmanageably long. I would forget the end of the line before I could get to it. It occurred to me that perhaps I should do this at the typewriter, because I can type faster than I can write. So I did, and that is mostly the way I have written ever
567: 229: 531: 508: 456: 483: 771: 653: 150:(b. 1927). Written from 1963 and in close to its final state in 1964, it was first published in Ashbery's fifth collection of poems, 173:
since. Occasionally I write a poem in longhand to see whether I can still do it. I don't want to be forever bound to this machine.
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John Ashbery: A Comprehensive Bibliography, including his art criticism, and with selected notes from unpublished materials
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that "the history of art and the history of each artist’s development are the response to the discomforts of boredom."
324: 476: 196: 503: 803: 639: 24: 302:. (London: Jonathan Cape, 1967), 32-62; and in a compilation of Ashbery's first five books: Ashbery, John. 152: 117: 777: 469: 144: 51: 248:—where "the text is a series of juxtapositions; it’s hard to know if the poem is even about skaters." 661: 613: 442:
McHale, Brian. "How (Not) to Read Postmodernist Long Poems: The Case of Ashbery's 'The Skaters'." in
310:. (New York: Library of America, 2008), 147-178. Excerpts of the poem appeared in the Ashbery, John. 240: 457:
John Ashbery: “The Skaters” from Rivers and Mountains, 1966 – a critical and genetic digital edition
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McHale, Brian. "How (Not) to Read Postmodernist Long Poems: The Case of Ashbery's 'The Skaters'" in
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It is thought by several critics that the title "The Skaters" refers to a passage in British poet
232:(47:53) – read by Ashbery at the Washington Square Art Gallery in New York City, August 23, 1964. 186: 102: 244:
meditation"—that is, a rhetorical technique in which the poem is a writing about writing, as in
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Ashbery, John. "John Ashbery in conversation with Mark Ford" (London: Between the Lines, 2003).
238:"The Skaters" is a puzzling poem that incorporates "techniques such as pastiche and moments of 605: 343:
Ashbery, John. Interview with Janet Bloom and Robert Losada, in Packard, William (editor)
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Revue française d'études américaines 67: La poésie américaine: constructions lyriques
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Bernstein, Charles. "The Meandering Yangtze. Rivers and Mountains (1966)" in
383: 314:. (New York: Viking Press, 1985), 71-79 and (London: Paladin, 1987), 75-83. 205: 19:
This article is about the poem. For the equivalent French title, see
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Getting At Experience: Ekphrasis in Ashbery’s “The Skaters”
373:. (Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 2000), 109. 435:
Milesi, Laurent. "Figuring out Ashbery: ‘The Skaters’" in
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21(3) (Fall 2000), 561-590. doi: 10.1215/03335372-21-3-561
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The Craft of Poetry Interviews from The New York Quarterly
339: 337: 276:. (New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1966), 34-63. 756: 729: 704: 517: 218: 123: 108: 98: 88: 70: 32: 325:Interviews: John Ashbery, The Art of Poetry No. 33 432:. (New York: Columbia University Press, 1979). 477: 358:What Did I Do? The Unauthorized Autobiography 8: 323:John Ashbery interviewed by Peter A. Stitt. 168:, he wrote the poem largely on typewriter. 430:John Ashbery: An Introduction to the Poetry 156:published by Holt, Rinehart & Winston. 484: 470: 462: 298:The poem later appeared in Ashbery, John. 289:(New York: Library of America, 2008), 998. 164:According to an interview Ashbery gave to 50: 29: 386:21 November 2010. Retrieved 2 July 2013. 425:. (New York: Garland Publishing, 1976). 360:. (New York: HarperCollins, 1992), 113. 287:John Ashbery: Collected Poems 1956-1987 265: 215: 356:Rivers, Larry and Weinstein, Arnold. 7: 195:(1805), or possibly to a passage by 143:is a 739-line long poem by American 347:. (New York: Doubleday, 1974), 119. 14: 772:The New American Poetry 1945–1960 568:Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror 371:John Ashbery and American Poetry 224: 189:'s autobiographical long poem 21:Les Patineurs (disambiguation) 1: 765:The Best American Poetry 1988 285:Ford, Mark. "Chronology," in 112:Published in the collection 304:The Mooring of Starting Out 127:February 28, 1966 825: 621:And the Stars Were Shining 545:The Double Dream of Spring 197:American transcendentalist 118:Holt, Rinehart and Winston 18: 499: 308:Collected Poems 1956-1987 223: 49: 39: 25:Skater (disambiguation) 799:Poetry by John Ashbery 695:Commotion of the Birds 559:(1975, illustrated by 175: 23:. For other uses, see 778:New York School (art) 532:The Tennis Court Oath 331:No. 90 (Winter 1983). 170: 662:Where Shall I Wander 557:The Vermont Notebook 539:Rivers and Mountains 274:Rivers and Mountains 153:Rivers and Mountains 114:Rivers and Mountains 16:Poem by John Ashbery 201:Henry David Thoreau 627:Can You Hear, Bird 212:Critical reception 187:William Wordsworth 84:Autumn–Winter 1964 75:Art and Literature 71:First published in 58:Art and Literature 786: 785: 737:A Nest of Ninnies 669:A Worldly Country 614:Hotel LautrĂ©amont 236: 235: 178:York School poet 138: 137: 816: 747:Other Traditions 705:Individual poems 654:Chinese Whispers 640:Girls on the Run 486: 479: 472: 463: 428:Shapiro, David. 421:Kermani, David. 400: 393: 387: 380: 374: 367: 361: 354: 348: 341: 332: 329:The Paris Review 321: 315: 296: 290: 283: 277: 270: 228: 227: 216: 166:The Paris Review 134: 132: 124:Publication date 82: 79: 65: 62: 54: 45: 35: 30: 824: 823: 819: 818: 817: 815: 814: 813: 789: 788: 787: 782: 752: 725: 700: 518:Books of poetry 513: 495: 490: 453: 416:Conjunctions 49 408: 406:Further reading 403: 394: 390: 382:jsnjns (blog). 381: 377: 368: 364: 355: 351: 342: 335: 322: 318: 297: 293: 284: 280: 272:Ashbery, John. 271: 267: 263: 258: 225: 214: 162: 145:postmodern poet 130: 128: 83: 80: 77: 66: 63: 60: 40: 33: 28: 17: 12: 11: 5: 822: 820: 812: 811: 806: 804:American poems 801: 791: 790: 784: 783: 781: 780: 775: 768: 760: 758: 754: 753: 751: 750: 744: 741:James Schuyler 733: 731: 730:Books of prose 727: 726: 724: 723: 716: 708: 706: 702: 701: 699: 698: 692: 686: 683:Quick Question 680: 672: 666: 658: 650: 647:Your Name Here 644: 636: 630: 624: 618: 610: 602: 599:April Galleons 596: 590: 584: 578: 575:Houseboat Days 572: 564: 554: 548: 542: 536: 528: 521: 519: 515: 514: 512: 511: 506: 500: 497: 496: 491: 489: 488: 481: 474: 466: 460: 459: 452: 451:External links 449: 448: 447: 440: 433: 426: 419: 412: 407: 404: 402: 401: 388: 375: 362: 349: 333: 316: 312:Selected Poems 300:Selected Poems 291: 278: 264: 262: 259: 257: 254: 234: 233: 221: 220: 219:External audio 213: 210: 161: 158: 136: 135: 125: 121: 120: 110: 106: 105: 100: 96: 95: 90: 86: 85: 72: 68: 67: 55: 47: 46: 37: 36: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 821: 810: 807: 805: 802: 800: 797: 796: 794: 779: 776: 774: 773: 769: 767: 766: 762: 761: 759: 755: 748: 745: 742: 738: 735: 734: 732: 728: 721: 720:At North Farm 717: 714: 710: 709: 707: 703: 696: 693: 690: 687: 684: 681: 678: 677: 673: 670: 667: 664: 663: 659: 656: 655: 651: 648: 645: 642: 641: 637: 634: 631: 628: 625: 622: 619: 616: 615: 611: 608: 607: 603: 600: 597: 594: 591: 588: 585: 582: 579: 576: 573: 570: 569: 565: 562: 558: 555: 552: 549: 546: 543: 540: 537: 534: 533: 529: 526: 523: 522: 520: 516: 510: 507: 505: 502: 501: 498: 494: 487: 482: 480: 475: 473: 468: 467: 464: 458: 455: 454: 450: 445: 444:Poetics Today 441: 438: 434: 431: 427: 424: 420: 417: 413: 410: 409: 405: 398: 397:Poetics Today 392: 389: 385: 379: 376: 372: 369:Herd, David. 366: 363: 359: 353: 350: 346: 340: 338: 334: 330: 326: 320: 317: 313: 309: 305: 301: 295: 292: 288: 282: 279: 275: 269: 266: 260: 255: 253: 249: 247: 243: 242: 231: 230:"The Skaters" 222: 217: 211: 209: 208: 207: 202: 198: 194: 193: 188: 183: 181: 174: 169: 167: 159: 157: 155: 154: 149: 146: 142: 141:"The Skaters" 126: 122: 119: 115: 111: 107: 104: 101: 97: 94: 93:United States 91: 87: 76: 73: 69: 59: 53: 48: 44: 38: 34:"The Skaters" 31: 26: 22: 770: 763: 746: 739:(1969, with 736: 712: 694: 688: 682: 674: 668: 660: 652: 646: 638: 632: 626: 620: 612: 604: 598: 592: 587:Shadow Train 586: 580: 574: 566: 561:Joe Brainard 556: 550: 544: 538: 530: 524: 504:Bibliography 493:John Ashbery 446:21-3 (2000). 443: 436: 429: 422: 418:(Fall 2007). 415: 396: 391: 378: 370: 365: 357: 352: 344: 328: 319: 311: 307: 303: 299: 294: 286: 281: 273: 268: 250: 246:metalanguage 239: 237: 204: 190: 184: 180:Frank O'Hara 176: 171: 165: 163: 151: 148:John Ashbery 140: 139: 113: 74: 57: 43:John Ashbery 713:The Skaters 676:Planisphere 633:Wakefulness 551:Three Poems 192:The Prelude 809:1966 poems 793:Categories 606:Flow Chart 581:As We Know 525:Some Trees 256:References 241:ars poetic 131:1966-02-28 689:Breezeway 109:Publisher 56:Cover of 722:" (1984) 715:" (1964) 99:Language 757:Related 439:(1996). 199:writer 160:Writing 129: ( 103:English 89:Country 81:(No. 4) 64:(No. 4) 749:(2000) 697:(2016) 691:(2015) 685:(2012) 679:(2009) 671:(2007) 665:(2005) 657:(2002) 649:(2000) 643:(1999) 635:(1998) 629:(1995) 623:(1994) 617:(1992) 609:(1991) 601:(1987) 595:(1984) 593:A Wave 589:(1981) 583:(1979) 577:(1977) 571:(1975) 553:(1972) 547:(1970) 541:(1966) 535:(1962) 527:(1956) 509:Honors 206:Walden 78:  61:  261:Notes 327:in 203:in 116:by 41:by 795:: 336:^ 743:) 718:" 711:" 563:) 485:e 478:t 471:v 133:) 27:.

Index

Les Patineurs (disambiguation)
Skater (disambiguation)
John Ashbery

United States
English
Holt, Rinehart and Winston
postmodern poet
John Ashbery
Rivers and Mountains
Frank O'Hara
William Wordsworth
The Prelude
American transcendentalist
Henry David Thoreau
Walden
"The Skaters"
ars poetic
metalanguage
Interviews: John Ashbery, The Art of Poetry No. 33


Getting At Experience: Ekphrasis in Ashbery’s “The Skaters”
John Ashbery: “The Skaters” from Rivers and Mountains, 1966 – a critical and genetic digital edition
v
t
e
John Ashbery
Bibliography
Honors

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