Analysis of “Ave Maria” Frank O’Hara’s Essay Example

if somebody does it’ll be sheer gravy. ” He suggests that if they don’t get their first sexual experience, they will at least have seen a movie, instead of staying in their room “hating you. ”  O’Hara concludes his poetic admonition with a warning. He cautions mothers not to blame him if they don’t take his advice and their families fall apart.

The connection between keeping kids home from the movies and families falling apart may seem far-fetched, but the movies are symbolizing all the things a child is forbidden to do. Too much restriction will push them away. The final image is that of children growing “old and blind in front of a TV set” watching the films they weren’t allowed to see when they were small. This gives the impression that no matter how much a mother tries to shelter her children, they will eventually do all the things that were forbidden them.

There are several things that draw attention to the mothers, the first being the title of the poem. Perhaps it is an ironic statement on the imperfection of mothers in comparison to the “Holy Mother. ” There are two lines that suggest the mothers might have ulterior motives for sending their children to the movies. Lines 3 and 4 suggest mothers “get them out of the house so they won’t know what / you’re up to,” which implies the mothers also have something to hide.

These motives are not the main focus of the poem and are undisclosed by the author. We are left to guess what the mothers are really “up to. ” In short, O’Hara

recommends that parents let their children experience life on their own terms. Parents are told that preventing their children from making their own choices will cause resentment and leave the children fantasizing about the experiences they wish they had. A wise parent allows their children to grow into experienced adults by letting them to go out and explore, not coddling by them.