Lana Turner has Collapsed
Lana Turner has Collapsed (pg449)
Lana Turner has collapsed!
I was trotting along and suddenly
it started raining and snowing
and you said it was hailing
but hailing hits you on the head
hard so it was really snowing and
raining and I was in such a hurry
to meet you but the traffic
was acting exactly like the sky
and suddenly I see a headline
LANA TURNER HAS COLLAPSED!
there is no snow in Hollywood
there is no rain in California
I have been to lots of parties
and acted perfectly disgraceful
but I never actually collapsed
oh Lana Turner we love you get up
This poem has a very sarcastic and fast pace to it, which represents New York in many aspects–especially with how 24 hours a day there are flocks of people on the streets with soaring cars left and right. Lana Turner was a famous actress of the 1940’s and 1950’s and it is said that O’hara wrote that poem after Lana Turner’s infamous murder case. I had discussions on this case, in drama class, in eigth grade and the plot lies with Turner’s daughter. Supposedly the young girl stabbed her mother’s lover becuase she was afraid he was going to hurt her. This poem is a little different from the rest of O’hara’s poems because this one talks about pop culture. For once its as if O’Hara is trying to make a connection with the audience by using words such as “you” and “we”. Lana Turner’s mentioning in the poem would draw attention from many audiences soley because everyone knew of her. I enjoyed this one a lot more then most of his other work where the interpretation lies within the reader. In “Lana Turner has Collapsed” it is clear that O’Hara is discussing the attitude of New York which transcends into life in L.A.. The main focus lies on this pop diva/pin up doll who was a drama queen both on and off stage.
One interesting fact about this poem is that O’Hara wrote it as he was on the Staten Island Feery.
