Living in New York City is an adventure within itself with the bustling crowds of people, the mess that is the MTA, the occasional cockroaches and rats, and the odors of sewage that fill up the air. But amidst these tiny horrors are the subtle joys in life. The hole in the wall bakery shops, the impromptu visits to museums, the spontaneous get togethers in the village. The little things in life that make up for the rude and crude demeanor of NYC. In his work, “Having a Coke With You,” Frank O’Hara paints the enriching lifestyle that comes with living in NYC and being able to share it with someone. For some it might be their significant other. For others it might be their best friend. Whoever it is, O’Hara describes, no amount of art can come close to the feeling of living life to the fullest with the person or people you love the most. In the poem he composes the following line: “ I would rather look at you than all the portraits in the world” Naturally, the first song I thought of when I read this was Coldplay’s “A Sky Full of Stars.” In the hook, Chris Martin sings “‘Cause in a sky full of stars, I think I see you,” which resonates the themes of O Hara’s poem of life, love, and happiness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPRjCeoBqrI
In the video, Chris Martin walks about the busy city seats singing and bring joy and laughter to everyone he encounters. The video draws attentions to various forms of street art, colorful umbrellas and balloons, playful bubbles, an explosion of flower petals, basically anything that will make you smile. It ends with the echoes of the crowd singing back the lyrics, a moment filled with pure happiness.
I love the way you discuss both the positive and negative aspects of living in the city. You also skillfully talk about how despite some negative qualities, New York City is filled with a type of energy that cannot be found in any other city. Your use of video greatly supports your writing and is a wonderful addition to this blog post.
I agree with your assessment of the tiny horrors and subtle joys of being in New York City, but I would like to add that these can be found in the same thing. For example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPXUG8q4jKU
This video is a perfect example of a true New Yorker’s grit and determination, even when those around them are (as so many subway passengers tend to be) rude and unsupportive.
Hey Sayra,
being your friend, and experiencing many of these love/hate NYC moments with you, I agree with the “tiny horrors and subtle joys” statement.
https://www.theodysseyonline.com/love-hate-relationship-with-nyc
here is an article about reasons to love/hate NYC.
However, at the end of the day, I think we love it.
Many parts of your writing are easily relatable. I really like how you mentioned that O’Hara paints ” the enriching lifestyle that comes with living in NYC and being able to share it with someone. For some it might be their significant other. For others it might be their best friend.” Because New York City is always crowded with a lot of people, having that one special individual really makes life more bearable.
I like the correlation you made to this idea of being deeply in love with someone in the middle of a city in Coldplay’s music video. It’s strange how both their work and that of O’Hara contain a similar aspect of a city being in the background of their work. Even if it isn’t the focus of the work itself, it still serves a greater purpose of setting the scene in a place they know and love.