Analysis of Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" Essay

Allen Ginsberg was one of the greatest admired Beat Generation poets, who particularly used free flowing, aggressive and occasionally a discourteous style of language to show that the rule and social structure over heterosexuality can be filled with opposition, so he decided to release queerness. Ginsberg strongly disputed capitalism and conformity that notably consisted of sexual repression, so he incorporated in the development of counterculture and challenged the heteronormative, procreation-driven society and was done with living at society’s limits. The idea of beat literature has a capricious form, although, also considers the customary narration techniques, and indeed masculinist and heterosexist prospects. The Beat generation indicates an individual that has been put down, or has been oppressed around with deviated norms. Therefore, this impression of queerness is a representation of him being an activist in society and used to take action to encourage his differences, which contributes to strange and prohibited behaviours. In this essay, being central to vicious and pleased queer performative spaces in the city and embodying sexuality, it will examine Allen’s, ‘Howl’ and ‘Sunflower Sutra’, interpreting queer theory, and that it is essential to ideas of gender and sexuality that are necessary for radical solidarity, Allen being a gay activist his principles of his character seem unreasonable or destructive in contemporary political circumstances in America’s sexual

A group of rebels trample through San Francisco like mad men, breaking boundaries and getting arrested as often as a child is born. With dilated pupils and hair like Albert Einstein, these “Beat Poet” creatures cause an uproar as they roam the city. This is the image Allen Ginsberg depicts in his famous and controversial poem, Howl. The poem was written in 1955 and dedicated to Ginsberg’s dear friend, Carl Solomon. The poem was later published by Lawrence Ferlinghetti of City Lights Bookstore in 1956. Those years brought Ginsberg ample success and much attention but the post World War II realities still surrounded him. The 1950s were full of great political and social changes. Music, the arts, gender roles,

Good art never dies, but rather lingers on in the minds of the society. Allan Ginsberg’s poem “Howl” has relevance many years after it was written. “Howl” is a poem, and a story about the history of the beat generation, and the philosophies of the beat poets. At the time that Howl was written America was in the middle of the cold war, and conservatism was the norm. The shocking nature and vulgar language of “Howl” makes the poem unique during a time when having your hair long, or even having a beard was risqué. Allan Ginsberg makes the reader think about their freedom and expression during the time when even the society is against them. By using his obscene, even by today’s standards, words he startles the read and gives them the branch to

Ginsberg addressed the inner workings of his complicated mind through his poetry, but he also inspired his readers to do so as well. Ginsberg was notorious for representing a variety of controversial issues, but he was also a part of the drug scene as a means of expanding personal exploration towards questioning the human condition. In his travels alongside his partner, Peter Orlovsky, Ginsberg was inspired by a variety of psychedelic drugs and the peaceful acceptance of Eastern religions to develop a “global consciousness” that challenged his native society (Schumacher). In the same way rock music of the counterculture combined different types of music, Ginsberg's poetry uniquely combined styles of poetry, religious influences, and drug-induced creative thought processes to question his reality living in a Christian-dominated society. One passage of “Howl” in particular reads, “I’m with

The form of Ginsberg’s poem challenges the American culture by resistance from “best minds”. Howl is separated to three sections that include long lines, which look like paragraphs. Resisting

Century apart, Allen Ginsberg and Walt Whitman share similar cultural, political and moral values, which they express in their literary work. Whitman’s writing is considered controversial for the eighteen hundreds. He sets the stage for generations to come breaking way from the strict Victorian poetic tradition by writing in free verse. Ginsberg follows his footsteps when composing his poem “Howl” by writing in long lines almost resembling prose and subdividing the poem into several parts. Likewise, he uses numerous repetitions to achieve rhythmicity of his verse. Ginsberg’s poem is heavily influenced by Whitman’s philosophy. The works “Song of myself” and “Howl” are similar in ideas, structure and underling themes. The two authors protest against old traditions imposed on the individual by corrupt society, stand against conformity and put emphasis on the need for change. They identify with their generation and dwell on themes such as sexuality, religion and the state of American society.

Allen Ginsberg's poem Howl is a three part free form poem dealing with the unjust and unfair power of capitalistic government, and the effects it has on people with less than perfect social standings, specifically during the time of the beat generation. The first part of the poem deals with various reasons why Ginsberg and his friend from the beat generation went metaphorically mad. The second part of the poem, which was written at a later time, has to deal with the unfair amount of power the government has, and what it does to people of lower social classes. And the final part of this poem has to deal with Ginsberg's relationship with Carl Solomon.

Ginsberg does not spare the 'innocent' reader. When one analyzes the social power of Ginsberg's statements, one can come easily to the conclusion that society was not exactly welcoming to Ginsberg, and he reacted to that through his writing, especially in "Howl."

When you first read Howl, you would think that as a poem it is a bit “all over the place” and “dis-organized” because of how the content is presented. I only say this because that is the impression that I got from it after the first read. But after going over it again, and doing some outside research on it, I found it to be one of the most intricate and interesting poems I’ve ever read. The poem is split up into three different sections, each one having its own theme and subject matter of madness, the defiance of rules and order, and the notion of freedom along with physical and mental confinement. Ginsberg was a very open and free-thinking person, and that to me speaks volumes. I believe that he is a very relatable writer and poet.

As you read “Howl” by Allen Ginsberg’s you pay attention more to the way the words are structured and out in a certain way. So personally for me I didn’t get to feel the same vibes as I got from the visuals. In the visuals u get a much better perspective in what the author tries to imply. But after analyzing both the poem and the visuals I now believe that Allen Ginsberg’s poem “Howl” is the author’s attempt to express his views on how rules and order is what is causing the generations to go mad. He believed that the severity of the justice systems stunted the creativity of the nation’s most promising individuals.

The poem by Allen Ginsberg that shook conventional standards of poetry was published in 1956. Howl is a poem that follows inspiration from the Walt Whitman style of writing. Ginsberg himself is said to have been a fan of Whitman. The poem is long lined work that constitutes the raw emotion and anger towards a disrupted and abusive society. Howl is considered as a revolutionary event in American poetry.

He writes “ I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, / dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix” ( lines 1-2). Frank Casale discusses these lines in his article “Literary Contexts in Poetry: Allen Ginsberg’s ‘Howl.’” He writes “The poem’s opening line has become one of the most famous in American poetry. It serves as an opening into the experience of madness, drugs, prophecy, and a new vision that compose the field of the first part of the poem” (Casale 1). This line introduces the theme of the poem and introduces Ginsberg’s view on insanity and the Beat lifestyle. He supports those “who drove crosscountry seventytwo hours to find out if I had a vision or you had a vision or he had a vision to find out Eternity, / [...] who fell on their knees in hopeless cathedrals praying for each other’s salvation” (60, 62). Casale continues by saying “In ‘Howl’ the Beats are repeatedly referred to as ‘angels,’ to connect those in search of the new consciousness or new vision [...] with the prophetic tradition. The quest for ‘kicks’ was not just an epicurean activity, but a serious search for freedom and new meaning in an America growing more conformist and authoritarian” (Casale 2). As a member of the Beat Generation, Ginsberg understands the Beat lifestyle and the way society views them, and he provides this generation with a

In conclusion, Allen Ginsberg was the core of the beat poet generation where freedom and spontaneous practices were celebrated. With his creation of Howl he articulated his insights of mental institutions and how they limited the pure talent in patients by restricting their freedom of expression. These controversy dates back to the 1950’s yet is still very much alive in the 21st

“The weight of the world/is love./under the burden of solitude,/under the burden of dissatisfaction,/the weight,/the weight we carry/is love” (Ginsberg pg.50) . A simple, yet powerful quote from Allen Ginsberg, about how one can feel so lonely, even though he is full of love. Allen Ginsberg became well known in the 20th century for his unique yet powerful poems, “Ginsberg's raw power, spiritual depth, and technical innovation were driving forces in the shift that saw American poetry in the 1950s move away from a New Critical emphasis on formal, metrical, witty, ironic, and allusive verse toward verse that was at once more personal and more political” (Iadonisi p.1). Among his amazing works is a poem entitled “Howl.” With 112 lines, thought provoking themes, obscene words, and heavy drug influences, Howl is a poem about life through the eyes of Allen Ginsberg and his best friends also known as the beat poets. In “Howl” Ginsberg portrays a world of freedom , in a society of madness, to encourage others to be themselves, and not to

The genre of “Howl” by Allen Ginsberg is a poem. Poem is a very strong way to deliver the author’s message because audience tend to think more about the meaning due to the use of figurative language. The voice of the author, Allen Ginsberg, is very judgmental, and critical. This is from his close friend’s unfair experience in metal hospital. The intended audience for this poem will be everyone in our society. Lastly, the purpose of this poem is to inform the audience that the real “best minds” of this generation is people who are different, and alert that we might be giving them false labels by calling them crazy.