Focusing on the poetry and cultural practice of Frank O’Hara, the great urban poet of the New York School during the 1950s and 1960s, this books explores the interwoven relationship between his urban poetics and the urban culture of New York, seeking to shed light on poetic concept and its cultural relevance.
The poetry of Frank O’Hara is deeply rooted in and nourished by his urban experience as a metropolitan and an active participant in the vibrant cultural scene of New York. Therefore, an investigation into the interactive dynamics between his poetry and the urban culture he helped shape serves as a starting point for further study on the literary representation of European and American urban culture. Across eight chapters, the authors look into the genesis, theoretical constitution, the interface with culture and aesthetics of O’Hara’s urban poetics and also their philosophical foundations, literary ethics, special expression and representation as well as his reception of modernity and postmodernity.
The title will appeal to scholars, students and general readers interested in American literature, poetry and urban culture, especially Frank O’Hara and the New York School.
Author(s): Wang Xiaoling, Wang Yuzhi, Zheng Mingyuan
Series: China Perspectives
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 238
City: London
Cover
Half Title
Series Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Preface
Chapter 1: The Origin of Frank O’Hara’s Urban Poetics
1.1 Urban View: O’Hara Studies in and Outside China
1.1.1 Major Achievements in China’s O’Hara Studies
1.1.2 Major Achievements in O’Hara Studies outside China
1.1.3 Existing Issues in O’Hara Studies and New Trends in the Study of His Urban Poetics
1.2 Urban Poetry: the New York School Poetry and Its Leading Figures
1.2.1 The Formation of the New York School Poetry and Its Theoretical Origins
1.2.1.1 The New York School and Dadaism
1.2.1.2 The New York School and Postmodernism
1.2.2 The Unique Style and Leading Figures of New York School
1.2.2.1 Frank O’Hara
1.2.2.2 John Ashbery
1.2.2.3 Kenneth Koch
1.2.2.4 James Schuyler
1.2.2.5 Ted Berrigan
1.2.3 Spread and Influence
1.2.4 Frank O’Hara and Art
1.2.4.1 Beginning
1.2.4.2 Painter Friends
1.2.4.3 Musician Friends
1.2.4.4 Art Life
1.2.4.5 Motivation
1.3 Urban Poetics as Its Theme
Chapter 2: Theoretical Basis of Frank O’Hara’s Urban Poetics
2.1 Modernism and O’Hara’s Urban Poetics
2.1.1 The Influence of the Experimental Phase of His Poetry Writing
2.1.2 The Influence of the Original Stage of O’Hara’s Poetry
2.2 Surrealism and O’Hara’s Urban Poetics
2.2.1 Automatic Writing
2.2.2 Illusory Realism
2.2.3 Collective Recreation
2.3 Personism and O’Hara’s Urban Poetics
2.3.1 Establishment of “Personism”
2.3.2 Poetry Conversation between People
2.3.3 Urban Poetry from the “Personism” Perspective
Chapter 3: The Culture of Frank O’Hara’s Urban Poetics
3.1 The Relevance of O’Hara’s Urban Poetics and New York’s Urban Culture
3.1.1 Frank O’Hara’s Poetry and Elegant Urban Culture
3.1.2 O’Hara Urban Poetics and New York Urban Pop Culture
3.1.3 O’Hara’s Poetry and Non-local Culture in the City
3.2 O’Hara’s Urban Poetry and Urban Mass Culture
3.2.1 Commercial Culture
3.2.2 Museum Culture
3.2.3 Mass Entertainment Culture
3.3 Integration of Poetics, Painting, and Music
3.3.1 Integration of Poetry and Painting
3.3.2 Features of Integration of Poetry and Painting
3.3.3 Integration of Poetry, Painting, and Music
Chapter 4: The Aesthetics of Frank O’Hara’s Urban Poetics
4.1 The Expression Strategy of Urban Consciousness
4.1.1 Multifaceted Self-as-Subject
4.1.2 Enigma
4.1.3 Art of Fragmentation
4.2 Aesthetics of Urban Writing
4.2.1 Changes in Artistic Orientation
4.2.2 Search for Modernity
4.2.3 Independence
4.3 Other Ode of Urban Experience
4.3.1 Frank O’Hara’s Construction and Deconstruction of the Traditional Form of Ode
4.3.2 The Subversion and Expansion of Ode’s Tradition by Surrealist Poetic Theory
4.3.3 “Ugly for Beauty” in Odes
Chapter 5: Philosophy in Frank O’Hara’s Urban Poetics
5.1 Emotions in Urban Images
5.1.1 Paradox: Developed Artifacts vs. Suppressed Human Nature
5.1.2 Temporary Mind Fulcrum: Private Emotional Space
5.2 Synchronization of Daily Life
5.2.1 Artistic Appeal of Daily Life
5.2.2 Poetic Construction of Daily Life
5.2.3 Cultural Interpretation of Daily Life
5.3 Absurd Seriousness
5.3.1 Exposure of Reality through Absurdity
5.3.2 Self-representation of Absurdity
5.3.3 Absurdity of Text Order
Chapter 6: Literary Ethics in Frank O’Hara’s Urban Poetics
6.1 Urban Love
6.1.1 Image of Love
6.1.2 Reflections on Love
6.2 Human Alienation
6.3 Postmodern Ethics
6.3.1 Individuality
6.3.2 Diversity
6.3.3 Life
Chapter 7: Space in Frank O’Hara’s Urban Poetics
7.1 Multi-dimensional Space
7.1.1 Visual Space
7.1.2 Auditory Space
7.1.3 Psychological Space
7.2 Stream of Consciousness
7.2.1 Obscurity of Rationality
7.2.2 Self-exploration
7.2.3 Transcendence of Time and Space
7.3 Dream Color
7.3.1 Change and Transplant in Dream
7.3.2 “Personism” and Dream Color Poetry
Chapter 8: Modernity, Postmodernity, and Last Words
8.1 Modernity of O’Hara’s Urban Poetry
8.1.1 Worldly Inspired Literary Montage
8.1.2 Representations of the Modernity of Urban Life
8.1.3 The Modernity of Urban Text
8.2 O’Hara’s Inheritance and Development of the Confessional Poetry in His Urban Poetry
8.2.1 “Inward Turning”
8.2.2 “Outward Turning”
8.3 Postmodernity in O’Hara’s Urban Poetics
8.3.1 Departure from Tradition in Creative Forms and Ideas
8.3.2 Creative Use of Collage
8.3.3 Reference and Integration of Eastern Poetic Beauty
8.4 Last Words
Appendix: A Short Chronology of Frank O’Hara
Bibliography
Index
