Walking the Streets: Topic 2

Frank O’Hara, in his poems on walking around New York, aspires to be a dandy—and preaches that others should do the same. A dandy, as defined by Charles Baudelaire, is one who believes in the “aristocratic superiority of his mind,” using “time and money” to expand their imaginative valor (107-108). O’Hara bemuses on the city, noticing the “hum-colored cabs” and “bargain wrist-watches with a droll, humorous tone. He recognizes the mundane objects of New York for what the actually are: pieces of the modern society, correct in their placement, as would be a simple toga in ancient Rome. As a true dandy, O’Hara states that, “I know you love Manhattan, but you ought to look up more often,” criticizing the small-minded from combining their imagination with the brilliantly, simple aspects of the city.