description Some Trees Overview
John Ashbery’s *Some Trees* (1956) is a significant collection of American poetry. Published during the New York School movement, it showcases Ashbery's experimental style and philosophical explorations. The book gained early recognition through the Yale Younger Poets Prize, establishing him as a key figure in avant-garde literature. It’s primarily for readers interested in 20th-century poetry, particularly those engaging with postmodernism and complex, associative verse.
insights Ranking position
Some Trees ranks #234 of 445 in the Poetry Collection ranking, behind The Dolphin, ahead of The Art of Drowning.
help Some Trees FAQ
How did Some Trees win the Yale Younger Poets Prize?
W. H. Auden selected John Ashbery's manuscript for the Yale Series of Younger Poets. Yale University Press published the collection in 1956, making it Ashbery's first major book.
Which well-known poems appear in Some Trees?
The collection includes "The Instruction Manual," "The Picture of Little J. A. in a Prospect of Flowers," and the title poem "Some Trees." These poems already show Ashbery's shifts between ordinary speech, surreal association, and unstable points of view.
What does the title poem Some Trees describe?
The poem imagines two people encountering trees as though the scene were an intimate, almost ceremonial meeting. Its language turns a recognizable landscape into a meditation on connection, perception, and meanings that resist direct explanation.
How is Some Trees connected to the New York School?
Ashbery was grouped with New York School poets such as Frank O'Hara, Kenneth Koch, and James Schuyler. Some Trees combines influences from modern poetry and surrealism with the conversational and art-connected environment of 1950s New York.
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