"The poem is sad because it wants to be yours, and cannot be"

This quote by John Ashbery encapsulates the evasive nature of poetry and the complex relationship in between the poet, the poem, and the reader. At first glimpse, it conveys a sense of yearning and unfulfillment. The poem, as a development, desires nothing more than to belong to the reader-- it yearns to be understood, valued, and internalized. Nevertheless, it faces an intrinsic barrier that prevents total belongings or absorption by the reader.

In Ashbery's oeuvre, this sentiment reflects his wider themes of ambiguity and the fluidity of significance within poetry. The sadness here can be comprehended as both the poem's and the reader's. The poem is depicted as a sentient entity with its own wishes, hinting at the concept that as soon as a poem is written, it takes on a life of its own, separate from the poet. It wants to link, to bridge the space between the author's intentions and the reader's interpretation. Yet, language and individual experiences can produce a chasm that is difficult to entirely traverse.

From the reader's point of view, this quote recommends a yearning to completely grasp and internalize the poem's essence but an acknowledgment of the limitations in doing so. Each reader brings their own context and point of view, which may differ from what the poet meant. Thus, the poem's "unhappiness" might likewise originate from the inevitable multiplicity of interpretations it will stimulate-- an indication of its richness but also its failure to be singularly possessed or defined.

Moreover, the quote highlights the ongoing, often useless mission for understanding and connection through art. In its melancholy, there is a charm that talks to the universal human experience of reaching out for something just beyond one's grasp. Ashbery welcomes readers to value not just the clearness and insight poetry can provide, however also the mystery and incompleteness intrinsic to its nature.