The poem is sad because it wants Posted on December 17, 2012December 17, 2007 by admin “The poem is sad because it wants to be yours, and cannot be.” — John Ashbery Author: John Ashbery Category: sad Tags: sad, John Ashbery Spread the love Related posts: We tell our triumphs to the crowds, Sadness is also a kind of defence. A comfortable old age is the reward Christmas makes everything twice as sad.