‘Homosexuality’ by Frank O’Hara looks at the way the homosexuals were treated in the 1960s, looking at ideas of judgment and acceptance.
This is a deeply personal poem by Frank O'Hara. It looks at his own ideas about acceptance - both from society and from himself. While looking at the way that homosexuals were treated, the poet writes in his usual personal and evocative style. This poem explains the world that the poet lived in and the experiences that he had, while also demonstrating how these experiences made him feel. It works as an example of his style as well as his life.
So we are taking off our masks, are we, and keeping
our mouths shut? as if we'd been pierced by a glance!
The song of an old cow is not more full of judgment
than the vapors which escape one's soul when one is sick;
