Kendrick Lamar is on the rise in the music industry due to his lyrical prowess and his ability to relate to the people of Compton and through his music give a window of the life their. John Ashbery, due to his ability to relate to the whole of America, through his poetry has gained fame. Being from the concrete jungles of New York, having a degree from Harvard, and also one of the most notable open 20th century gay man; John Ashbery’s diverse background is imprinted into his writing; but not clearly. John Ashbery writes his all his poems in obscurity, which can leave some confused and thinking about it for days. His diverse background allows himself to tap into the minds of his readers and discuss issues, his mindset in an obscure and confusing way. John Ashbery discusses his sexuality in his …show more content…
Though written in 1977, when homosexuality wasn’t accepted by most, Ashbery had the audacity to write a poem about his feelings about it. Usually obscure, Ashbery catches the reader's attention with the bold description of: “(About two men making love on a foam-rubber bed)”(Ice Cream Wars 5). Shows how he is not afraid of discussing it. However, the rest of the poem is obscure, written in riddles after riddles. He first starts off with an en-media res:“Although I mean it, and project the meaning/ As hard as I can into its brushed-metal surface”(Ashbery 1-2) Knowing his background information, about him opening up, he boldly states that he is gay, and he is serious. He opens up earlier that year of 1977, and this poem essentially follows up based on the first two lines. This is almost like a topic sentence; telling readers who know what the poem is about, to further explore into it. He then proceeds by making an allusion to Japanese text, and the proceeds with the description about two men making love(Ashbery 4-5). The allusion to ancient Japan is important. Homosexuality is accepted there,