According to a popular story, Frank O'Hara composed "Poem [Lana Turner has collapsed!]" on the Staten Island Ferry in 1962, en route to a reading with Robert Lowell at Wagner College. At the reading, O'Hara performed this poem, even though he had just written the piece on his way there. The poem was later published in O'Hara's most celebrated collection, Lunch Poems, in 1964.
In "Poem [Lana Turner has collapsed!]", an active, first-person speaker describes the events surrounding the moment he read of Lana Turner's collapse via a newspaper headline, and then responds to this headline. Lana Turner was a Hollywood star celebrated for her work in film, television and theater. She was also known for modeling, and for her tumultuous personal life. The poem's sensational nature reflects the manner in which Turner's life was presented to the public: bold, dramatic, and unrelenting.
The poem addresses several themes that recur throughout O'Hara's work: popular culture, celebrities, and modern life. It's best to approach this poem with O'Hara's humor in mind. However, in spite of the poem's campy tone, the work raises a variety of complex issues, including disillusionment with Hollywood's glamour and the reality of stardom.
