What are the motifs in Paradoxes and Oxymorons by John Ashbery?

"Paradoxes and Oxymorons" illustrates the idea that the world is never quite what it seems to be; appearances are deceptive. Greek philosopher Plato addresses this idea in The Allegory of the Cave, claiming that human beings live in the shadows of the real world. "Paradoxes and Oxymorons," a poem included in a collection titled Shadow Train, is in itself obscure and elusive in nature. One of the central paradoxes of the poem is its relationship to reality.