Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Two for the Road" by John Ashbery showcases his characteristic blend of surrealism, conversational language, and narrative ambiguity. The poem opens with a seemingly ordinary dialogue, undercut by a sense of absurdity and disjointedness. This opening sets the tone for the rest of the piece, which oscillates between the mundane and the bizarre.

The casual, colloquial language ("Did you want it plain or frosted?") is juxtaposed with unexpected and surreal imagery ("the ravens emerge from the door beside the huge clock face and march around it"). This contrast is a staple of Ashbery's style, creating a sense of disorientation and challenging the reader's expectations.

The narrative in "Two for the Road" is nonlinear and fragmented, typical of Ashbery's approach to storytelling. The poem seems to drift between different scenes and speakers, with little regard for traditional narrative coherence. This technique reflects the complexities and inconsistencies of human thought and communication.

Ashbery's use of humor and irony is evident throughout the poem. The dialogue is playful and witty, yet there's an underlying sense of absurdity that adds depth to the text. The poem's title itself, "Two for the Road," suggests a journey or partnership, yet the poem's content subverts any straightforward interpretation of this theme.

The excerpt of the "peaceful new story" at the end of the poem is a quintessential Ashbery move, introducing a new narrative layer that is both whimsical and dark ("The dust bowl slid in through the French doors"). This shift further destabilizes the poem's already tenuous narrative structure.

"Two for the Road" exemplifies Ashbery's talent for blending the ordinary with the extraordinary, the coherent with the chaotic. The poem invites multiple readings, each offering a different perspective on its complex tapestry of ideas, images, and voices. In this way, Ashbery's work often demands active engagement from the reader, who must navigate the poem's shifting terrain to find their own meaning.

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