How Frank O'Hara Captured the Essence of New York City in Meditations in an Emergency (Epub Download)
Frank O Hara Meditations In An Emergency Epub Download
Have you ever heard of Frank O'Hara, the poet who captured the essence of New York City in the 1950s and 1960s? Have you ever read his masterpiece, Meditations in an Emergency, a collection of poems that express his personal and artistic struggles in a turbulent era? If not, you are missing out on one of the most influential and original voices in American literature. And if you have, you might want to revisit his work in a convenient and accessible format: the epub download.
Frank O Hara Meditations In An Emergency Epub Download
In this article, we will explore the life and work of Frank O'Hara, the themes and style of Meditations in an Emergency, the impact and legacy of his poetry, and how to download the epub version of his book. By the end of this article, you will have a deeper appreciation of Frank O'Hara's genius and a desire to read or reread his poems.
The life and work of Frank O'Hara
Frank O'Hara was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1926. He grew up in Massachusetts and served in the Navy during World War II. He moved to New York City in 1951, where he became a part of the vibrant artistic scene that included painters like Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and Jasper Johns, as well as writers like John Ashbery, Kenneth Koch, and James Schuyler. He worked as a curator at the Museum of Modern Art and as an editor at Art News magazine.
O'Hara was also a prolific poet who wrote with spontaneity, humor, and intimacy. He often composed his poems on the spot, on napkins, typewriters, or notebooks, and read them aloud to his friends or strangers. He was inspired by everyday life, pop culture, music, art, love, and death. He published several collections of poetry during his lifetime, such as A City Winter and Other Poems (1952), Oranges: 12 Pastorals (1953), Second Avenue (1960), Lunch Poems (1964), and Love Poems (Tentative Title) (1965).
The themes and style of Meditations in an Emergency
Meditations in an Emergency is O'Hara's most famous and acclaimed book of poetry. It was first published in 1957 by Grove Press and later reissued by City Lights Books in 1967. The title comes from a poem that O'Hara wrote after seeing a fire engine on his way to work. He wondered what he would do if there was a real emergency, such as a nuclear war or a personal crisis.
The book contains 37 poems that reflect O'Hara's meditations on various aspects of his life: his identity as a gay man, his relationships with lovers and friends, his artistic aspirations and frustrations, his feelings of alienation and belonging, his observations of New York City and its people. The poems are written in free verse, with no fixed rhyme or meter. They are conversational, witty, candid, and sometimes confessional. They use colloquial language, slang, references to pop culture and art, and imagery that ranges from mundane to surreal.
Some of the most famous poems in the book are "Mayakovsky", "To the Harbormaster", "In Memory of My Feelings", "Ave Maria", "For Grace After a Party", "At Joan's", and "Meditations in an Emergency". They showcase O'Hara's ability to capture the mood and rhythm of his time, as well as his personal and emotional complexity.
The impact and legacy of Meditations in an Emergency
Meditations in an Emergency is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential books of poetry in the 20th century. It has been praised by critics and readers alike for its originality, freshness, and honesty. It has also been adapted into other media, such as music, film, and television. For example, the book was featured in the TV series Mad Men, where the protagonist Don Draper reads it and relates to O'Hara's existential angst.
O'Hara's poetry has also inspired and influenced many other poets, such as Allen Ginsberg, Robert Creeley, Ted Berrigan, Anne Waldman, Eileen Myles, and Frank Bidart. He is considered one of the leaders of the New York School of poetry, a group of poets who shared a similar aesthetic and social vision. He is also recognized as one of the pioneers of postmodernism, a movement that challenged the conventions and assumptions of modernism.
Unfortunately, O'Hara's life was cut short by a tragic accident. He was hit by a dune buggy on Fire Island in 1966 and died at the age of 40. He left behind a legacy of poetry that continues to resonate with readers today.
How to download the epub version of Meditations in an Emergency
If you are interested in reading or rereading Meditations in an Emergency, you might want to download the epub version of the book. Epub is a digital format that allows you to read books on various devices, such as computers, tablets, smartphones, and e-readers. Epub files are easy to download, store, and transfer. They also have features that enhance your reading experience, such as adjustable font size, bookmarks, annotations, and hyperlinks.
There are several ways to download the epub version of Meditations in an Emergency. One way is to buy it from an online bookstore, such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Kobo. Another way is to borrow it from a library that offers digital lending services, such as OverDrive or Hoopla. A third way is to find a free or public domain copy from a website that hosts epub files, such as Project Gutenberg or Archive.org. However, you should be careful when downloading files from unknown sources, as they might contain viruses or malware.
Once you have downloaded the epub file of Meditations in an Emergency, you can open it with any compatible software or app. Some examples are Adobe Digital Editions, Calibre, iBooks, Google Play Books, and FBReader. You can also convert the epub file to other formats if you prefer, such as PDF or MOBI.
Conclusion
Meditations in an Emergency is a remarkable book of poetry by Frank O'Hara that captures his personal and artistic journey in mid-20th century New York City. It is a book that speaks to anyone who has ever felt the joys and sorrows of life, love, and art. It is a book that deserves to be read and reread in any format.
If you want to download the epub version of Meditations in an Emergency, you can follow the steps we outlined above. You will be able to enjoy O'Hara's poetry on any device you choose. You will also be able to share it with others who might appreciate his work.
We hope this article has inspired you to explore Frank O'Hara's poetry and discover why he is one of the most influential and original poets of all time.
FAQs
Here are some common questions and answers about Meditations in an Emergency and the epub format:
What is the meaning of the title Meditations in an Emergency?
The title comes from a poem that O'Hara wrote after seeing a fire engine on his way to work. He wondered what he would do if there was a real emergency, such as a nuclear war or a personal crisis. The title suggests that the poems are his reflections on various aspects of his life in a time of uncertainty and change.
What is the difference between epub and PDF?
Where can I find more information about Frank O'Hara and his poetry?
There are many sources of information about Frank O'Hara and his poetry. You can read his biography, City Poet: The Life and Times of Frank O'Hara by Brad Gooch. You can also read his collected poems, edited by Donald Allen. You can watch documentaries, such as Frank O'Hara: Poet Among Painters by Michael Blackwood and The Last Clean Shirt by Alfred Leslie. You can also visit websites, such as The Frank O'Hara Foundation and The Poetry Foundation.
What are some other books of poetry by Frank O'Hara that I can read?
Frank O'Hara published several books of poetry during his lifetime and posthumously. Some of them are A City Winter and Other Poems (1952), Oranges: 12 Pastorals (1953), Second Avenue (1960), Lunch Poems (1964), Love Poems (Tentative Title) (1965), The Collected Poems of Frank O'Hara (1971), Early Writing (1977), and Poems Retrieved (2013).
How can I write my own poems inspired by Frank O'Hara?
If you want to write your own poems inspired by Frank O'Hara, you can follow some of his tips and techniques. You can write spontaneously, without planning or editing too much. You can write about your everyday life, your feelings, your friends, your city, your culture. You can use conversational language, humor, irony, and imagery. You can also read other poets who influenced or were influenced by O'Hara, such as Walt Whitman, William Carlos Williams, Arthur Rimbaud, Gertrude Stein, John Ashbery, Kenneth Koch, James Schuyler, and Eileen Myles.
71b2f0854b