Why Frank O’Hara’s Poetry Can Connect With Middle School Students

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  A former poetry teacher says Frank O’Hara’s informal, immediate style helped middle school students see poetry differently.

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  The teacher describes students laughing as they read O’Hara’s account of actress Lana Turner fainting.

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  The article highlights “A Step Away From Them” as a classroom poem that invites students to notice everyday colors, sounds and people.

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  O’Hara called his spontaneous poems “I do this, I do that” poems and described his approach as Personism.

Who

Frank O’Hara and middle school students taught by the article’s author.

What

The article describes how O’Hara’s poetry can engage students and change their ideas about poetry.

When

Not stated.

Where

In middle school classrooms; the schools’ locations are not stated.

Why

The author says O’Hara’s casual, witty and immediate style made poetry feel less formal and encouraged students to notice everyday life.

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