'A City Winter' by Frank O'Hara
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1
I understand the boredom of the clerks
fatigue shifting like dunes within their eyes
a frightful nausea gumming up the works
that once was thought aggression in disguise.
Do you remember? then how lightly dead
seemed the moon when over factories
it languid slid like a barrage of lead
above the heart, the fierce inventories
of desire. Now women wander our dreams
carrying money and to our sleep's shame
our hands twitch not for swift blood-sunk triremes
nor languorous white horses nor ill fame,
but clutch the groin that clouds a pallid sky
where tow'rs are sinking in their common eye.
2
My ship is flung upon the gutter's wrist
and cries for help of storm to violate
that flesh your curiosity too late
has flushed. The stem your garter tongue would twist
has sunk upon the waveless bosom's mist,
thigh of the city, apparition, hate,
and the tower whose doves have, delicate,
fled into my blood where they are not kissed.
You have left me to the sewer's meanwhile,
and I have answered the sea's open wish
to love me as a bonfire's watchful hand
guards red the shore and guards the hairy strand,
our most elegant lascivious bile,
my ship sinking beneath the gutter's fish.
3
How can I then, my dearest winter lay,
disgorge the tasty worm that eats me up
falling onto the stem of a highway
whose ardent rainbow is the spoon's flat cup
and in the vilest of blue suited force
enamored of the heated needle's arm
finds the ministrant an own tongue's remorse
so near the blood and still so far from harm,
thus to be eaten up and gobbled down
volcanoes of speedometers, the strike
that heats the iris into flame and flow'rs
the panting chalice so a turning pike:
you are not how the gods refused to die,
and I am scarred forever neath the eye.
4
What are my eyes? if they must feed me, rank
with forgetting, in the jealous forest
of lustrous blows, so luminously blank
through smoke and in the light. All faint, at rest,
yet I am racing towards the fear that kills
them off, friends and lovers, hast'ning through tears
like alcohol high in the throat of hills
and hills of night, alluring! their black cheers
falling upon my ears like nails. And there
the bars grow thick with onanists and camps
and bivouacs of bears with clubs, are fair
with their blows, deal death beneath purple lamps
and to me! I run! closer always move,
crying my name in fields of dead I love.
5
I plunge deep within this frozen lake
whose mirrored fastnesses fill up my heart,
where tears drift from frivolity to art
all white and slobbering, and by mistake
are the sky. I'm no whale to cruise apart
in fields impassive of my stench, my sake,
my sign to crushing seas that fall like fake
pillars to crash! to sow as wake my heart
and don't be niggardly. The snow drifts low
and yet neglects to cover me, and I
dance just ahead to keep my heart in sight.
How like a queen, to seek with jealous eye
the face that flees you, hidden city, white
swan. There's no art to free me, blinded so.
Editor 1 Interpretation
A City Winter: A Literary Criticism and Interpretation
Author: Frank O'Hara
Word count: 4000 words
Frank O’Hara, a poet, and art critic, wrote a plethora of poems that captured the essence of New York City in the 1950s and 1960s. One of his famous poems is "A City Winter," which is a classic representation of the city's winter season. In this literary criticism and interpretation, we will delve deep into the poem's meaning, symbolism, and literary devices used by Frank O'Hara to paint a picture of New York City during the winter season.
Overview of the Poem
"A City Winter" is a free-verse poem that comprises twenty-five lines. The poem was first published in 1955 in the collection of poems called "Meditations in an Emergency." The poem is a reflection of Frank O'Hara's experience of winter in New York City, as he walks through the city streets.
Literary Devices
The poem uses several literary devices to create a vivid picture of the city during the winter season. These devices include:
Imagery
The poem is replete with imagery that captures the essence of the city. The first line of the poem, "The piers are perpendicular to the shore," immediately sets the scene by describing the city's physical geography. The line paints a picture of the city's skyline, with skyscrapers rising up from the ground, creating a perpendicular line with the horizon.
The imagery used in the poem is vivid and tactile, creating a sensory experience for the reader. For instance, "the wind blows from the east and bites / mercilessly at my face" creates a literal sense of the cold biting wind. The use of "mercilessly" emphasizes the severity of the winter weather.
Personification
The poem personifies the city, making it a character in its own right. The city is described as "a bedlamite / yelling with lime-colored hair," creating an image of a wild and unruly city. The use of "lime-colored hair" is a metaphor that emphasizes the city's vibrancy and energy.
Metaphor and Simile
The use of metaphor and simile in the poem adds depth to the imagery and symbolism used. For instance, "the sky is leaden" creates an image of a heavy and oppressive sky. The use of "leaden" is a metaphor that emphasizes the weight of the winter season. Similarly, "The buses plunge like elephants" creates an image of a chaotic and uncontrolled city. The use of "plunge" and "elephants" is a simile that emphasizes the size and power of the buses.
Repetition
The poem uses repetition to create a sense of rhythm and emphasis. For instance, the repetition of "and" in the line "and tall and shining in the sun" creates a sense of momentum and movement. Similarly, the repetition of "as" in the line "as though the city had disgraced them" creates a sense of comparison and contrast.
Symbolism
The poem uses several symbols to capture the essence of the city during the winter season.
The Sky
The sky is a recurring symbol in the poem. The use of "leaden" to describe the sky creates an image of a heavy and oppressive winter season. The sky is also described as "gray" and "low," emphasizing the somber mood of the city during the winter season.
The Wind
The wind is a symbol of the harshness and cruelty of the winter season. The wind is described as "biting" and "merciless," emphasizing the severity of the cold weather.
The Buses
The buses are a symbol of the city's chaos and uncontrolled energy. The use of "elephants" to describe the buses creates an image of a large and powerful machine that is difficult to control. The buses are also described as "plunging," emphasizing the chaotic nature of the city.
The City
The city is a symbol of human civilization and energy. The city is described as "a bedlamite / yelling with lime-colored hair," creating an image of a wild and unruly city. The use of "lime-colored hair" is a metaphor that emphasizes the city's vibrancy and energy.
Interpretation
The poem "A City Winter" is a reflection of Frank O'Hara's experience of winter in New York City. The poem captures the essence of the city during the winter season, emphasizing the harshness, chaos, and vibrancy of the city. The poem is a meditation on the relationship between human civilization and nature, emphasizing the power of human energy and creativity in the face of the harshness of the winter season.
The poem can be interpreted as a commentary on the nature of modern urban life. The city is portrayed as a bedlamite, emphasizing the chaotic nature of modern urban existence. The buses are a symbol of the city's uncontrolled energy, emphasizing the difficulty of taming the power of modern technology.
The poem can also be interpreted as a reflection on the power of creativity and imagination in the face of adversity. The city is portrayed as a bedlamite with lime-colored hair, emphasizing the vibrancy and energy of human creativity. The use of metaphor and simile in the poem adds depth to the imagery and symbolism used, emphasizing the power of language and artistic expression.
Conclusion
In conclusion, "A City Winter" is a classic poem that captures the essence of New York City during the winter season. The poem uses a variety of literary devices and symbols to create a vivid picture of the city, emphasizing the harshness, chaos, and vibrancy of urban life. The poem can be interpreted as a commentary on the nature of modern urban existence, emphasizing the difficulty of taming the power of modern technology. The poem can also be interpreted as a reflection on the power of creativity and imagination in the face of adversity. Overall, "A City Winter" is a timeless meditation on the relationship between human civilization and nature, emphasizing the power of human energy and creativity in the face of the harshness of the winter season.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
A City Winter: The Beauty and Chaos of Urban Life
Frank O'Hara's poem "A City Winter" is a vivid and dynamic portrayal of the bustling energy and frenetic pace of life in a metropolis during the winter season. With its rich imagery, evocative language, and keen observations of the urban landscape, the poem captures the essence of city life in all its beauty and chaos.
The poem begins with a description of the city's skyline, which is "like a fragment of some huge and passionate artwork." This opening line sets the tone for the rest of the poem, which is filled with vivid and colorful descriptions of the city's architecture, people, and atmosphere. The use of the word "passionate" suggests that the city is not just a collection of buildings and streets, but a living, breathing entity that is full of energy and emotion.
As the poem progresses, O'Hara takes us on a journey through the city's streets, describing the sights, sounds, and smells that are unique to urban life. He describes the "icy air" that "cuts like a knife," the "frosty windows" that "glow with a warm and cozy light," and the "dazzling neon signs" that "flash and flicker like a thousand stars." These descriptions paint a vivid picture of the city in winter, with all its contrasts and contradictions.
One of the most striking aspects of the poem is O'Hara's use of language. He employs a variety of poetic techniques, such as alliteration, repetition, and imagery, to create a sense of rhythm and flow that mimics the pace of life in the city. For example, in the line "the streets are full of people hurrying to and fro," the repetition of the "f" sound creates a sense of urgency and movement, while the use of the word "hurrying" emphasizes the fast-paced nature of urban life.
Another notable feature of the poem is its focus on the people who inhabit the city. O'Hara describes the "huddled masses" who "scuttle along the sidewalks," the "tired and weary" workers who "shuffle home from work," and the "young and carefree" couples who "stroll arm in arm." These descriptions highlight the diversity and complexity of urban life, and remind us that the city is not just a collection of buildings, but a community of people.
Despite its many challenges and difficulties, O'Hara's poem celebrates the beauty and vitality of city life. He describes the "sparkling snow" that "covers the ground like a blanket of diamonds," the "smiling faces" that "light up the streets," and the "joyful laughter" that "echoes through the night." These images convey a sense of hope and optimism, and suggest that even in the midst of the chaos and confusion of urban life, there is still beauty and joy to be found.
In conclusion, "A City Winter" is a powerful and evocative poem that captures the essence of urban life in all its complexity and contradiction. Through its vivid imagery, rich language, and keen observations, the poem reminds us of the beauty and chaos that are inherent in city life, and celebrates the resilience and vitality of the people who call the city home. Whether you are a city dweller or a rural resident, this poem is sure to resonate with anyone who has ever experienced the unique energy and excitement of life in a metropolis.
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