An Abortion

O'Hara, Frank

Primary Category: Literature / Poetry

Genre: Poem

Annotated by:
Aull, Felice
  • Date of entry: May-17-2006
  • Last revised: Jun-15-2006

Summary

The narrator is both sympathetic observer and harsh judge, evoking the conflicting emotions, and human and ethical considerations surrounding the abortion of a fetus. The choice and juxtaposition of words is powerful and shocking: "more monster than murdered . . . autumn in our terrible breath."

Miscellaneous

First published: 1952

Primary Source

The Collected Poems of Frank O'Hara

Publisher

Alfred A. Knopf

Place Published

New York

Edition

1971

Editor

Donald Allen