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John Ashbery

Ashbery, one of the most acclaimed of contemporary American poets, was born on July 28, 1927, in Rochester, New York, and graduated from Harvard in 1949. He earned a master's degree from Columbia in 1951 and then

People Behaving Badly a Concern

by John Ashbery (1927–2017)

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Aggressive panhandling, public urination, verbal threats,

public nudity and violation of the open container law

followed us down the days, for why

are we here much longer,

or even this long? I ask you

to be civil and not interrupt night's business.

It was fun getting used to you,
who couldn't have been more nicer.
This was as modern as it had ever been.

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Poets Book of Days

July 28

John Ashbery born, 1937

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Poetry Trivia

Question:

What American poet was the son of the financier Charles E. Merrill, founder of Merrill-Lynch?

Answer

James Merrill

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