The New York School of poetry began around 1960 in New York City and included poets such as John Ashbery, Barbara Guest, Kenneth Koch, and Frank O’Hara. Heavily influenced by Surrealism and Modernism, the poetry of the New York School was serious but also ironic, and incorporated an urban sensibility into much of the work. An excerpt from Ashbery’s poem “My Philosophy of Life” demonstrates this attitude:
Just when I thought there wasn’t room enough
for another thought in my head, I had this great idea—
call it a philosophy of life, if you will. Briefly,
it involved living the way philosophers live,
according to a set of principles. OK, but which ones?
The following activities have been adapted from “Teach This Poem: ‘Having a Coke with You’ by Frank O'Hara.” They can be done alone or with a guardian, sibling, friend, or partner.
Warm-up (quick write): What are some simple things that you consider fun? Why?
Read and listen to “Poet as Immortal Bird” by Ron Padgett and “Anthropocene Blues” by Anne Waldman. Follow poets.org on TikTok for more videos.
“Poem” by Alice Notley
“Poem” by James Schuyler
“Poem” by Joe Brainard
“A Certain Slant of Sunlight” by Ted Berrigan
“Why I Am Not a Painter” by Frank O’Hara
“The Past” by Barbara Guest
“Honestly,” by John Ashbery
The following poets belong to the first and second generation of New York School poets. Click on their names to read their biographies:
John Ashbery
Barbara Guest
Kenneth Koch
Frank O’Hara
Ted Berrigan
Alice Notley
Ron Padgett
Anne Waldman
Joe Brainard
Kenneth Koch
James Schuyler
Allusion is a reference to a person, event, or literary work outside the poem.