Comparing Ginsberg And Walt Whitman

Whitman wrote broad stanzas and focused on the whole of America as his inspiration. His lines covered a wide range of topics and generated multiple points of view for the reader. He called his life’s work “Leaves of Grass”; stressing the

The nineteenth century produced many esteemed authors, including Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman who became two of Americas most popular poets. While vastly different in style and personality, both Dickinson and Whitman relate to many people on an emotional level through their poetry, even in the twenty-first century. The works of poetry by Dickinson and Whitman can be compared on levels of style and form and both writers composed beautiful verses of high quality. Through the following comparisons, it will become apparent how Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman influenced American literature and culture both in similar and diverse ways.

Lesser known than Guthrie’s influence, Kerouac, Ginsberg, and other writers associated with the Beat Generation nonetheless served as a distinct influence on Dylan’s lyrics and the politics found within. While this relationship can be seen directly in his friendship with Ginsberg, it is also found in the ethos of many of his lyrics. Such connections can be found by examining Kerouac's ideal of a “sympathetic” Beat Generation and Dylan’s incorporation of

Both Whitman and Dickinson were legendary in the branch of poetry, making their marks by writing plenty of poems, concentrating on important themes such as the developing America/independence, and creating beautiful works of art by exceeding the norms of Iambic Pentameter in conventional poetry. These poets exercised great influence among the coming generations of poets, while also exemplifying their traditional uses of poetic devices. But an important aspect that distinguished the uniqueness of both poets was the tone that was exemplified in their works. As a result, Dickinson and Whitman’s poems incorporated a plethora of symbolic messages that supported their tone and mood of not only their writing, but also what influenced them in

In the world of writing, it goes without saying that certain writers pave the way for others in terms of their success and because of this, influence those that come after based on the movements they create and the stylistic choices they either make or break. Especially when it comes to modern poetry and its evolution, there are always those who are influenced positively and negatively by others in the community – no matter how many generations apart they may be. Having said that, the influence of T.S. Eliot on Allen Ginsberg’s work resulted in a beneficial but not quite happy influence, due to Ginsberg’s stand of anti-elitist writing (and therefore anti-eliot). Focusing specifically on the allusion and the fragment, this paper will compare

Born in Newark in 1926, Allen Ginsberg would grow up to be one of America’s most influential and controversial poets. This can be seen in poems like “America” and “Super Market in California”. In these poems, Ginsberg uses free verse poetry and a constant flow of ideas to make his point. This constant flow of ideas can especially be seen in America, as Caitlin Stanley referred to it as “spontaneous composition” to come up with almost a list of grievances. He is able to reflect his controversial positions of the time by trying to fight against the conformity and issues of the 50s. This can be seen in “Super Market in California” Ginsberg is trying to show the materialism, which has come into American life with a great magnitude during the

Ginsberg wanted his writing to be unique and special. Therefore he decided to create his own writing technique and styles. The way Ginsberg wrote stood out and captured attention of other writers. Selden Rodman, an American writer and poet, argues “Ginsberg’s use of a gritty vernacular and an improvisational rhythmical style created a poetry which seemed haphazard and amateur to many of the traditional poets of the time” (Rodman 338). Rodman claims that when Ginsberg started using this “creative” style, it was a disaster.

In Allen Ginsberg’s “Super market in California”, the author addresses his view on the American society. He talks about the ideal America through symbolism and famous controversial poets. Ginsberg is an American poet and one of the members of the Beats movement. Together, Allen and the Beats writers try to show the natural beauty of America that has been corrupted and lost to industrialisation. In this essay, I will address the symbolism of the setting and its representation of the America of Walt Whitman’s imagination compared to Allen Ginsberg’s view of America.

Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman are considered two of the greatest authors having built the framework of American literature. They both base their writings on the perception of the world around them and in many cases even beyond. The writers begin their work by fortifying solid theories bases on personal observations of nature and their lives, then make tangible and intangible connections from the experiences. They both possess a philosophical longing, a sort of need to enrich the literary arts based on these observations and experiences. A major similarity is that the two poets are products of the nineteenth century with Emily Dickinson being born in 1830 while Walt Whitman was born in 1819.

Throughout the human civilization, writing is the most effective method to communicate and express ideas and thoughts. Among different styles of writing, poetry is unique as each word has to be carefully chosen by the authors. As a result, every single word is enjoyed and appreciated by readers. Furthermore, words in poetry often contain additional meanings. Because of its unique quality, poetry can often invoke more powerful thoughts and feelings from the readers, compared to other writing styles. Therefore, poets often write poetry to express their prospective about issues they care about deeply. Although not fully appreciated during his lifetime, Walt Whitman has produced a collection of great poems and is one of the greatest American

This supports the theme, connection, by showing the narrator speaking directly to Whitman. Ginsberg uses imagery and diction, among other devices, to convey his theme

The Beat Generation explored and influenced American culture through the authors literature. Walt Whitman “Resist much, Obey little” is quoted from Walt Whitman 's Leaves of Grass. Whitman believed highly in his philosophy of life and humanity. This quote contrasts Allen Ginsberg’s poem “A Supermarket in California” which portrays American conformity within a capitalistic society. Ginsberg uses imagery to portray America’s capitalism commodity fetishism resulting in a loss of individualism.

From Socrates to Galileo to Van Gogh, geniuses are misunderstood and ostracized. Their concepts and alternatives to current reason are inconceivable at first to the ordinary mind. Censorship was a pressing issue for Ginsberg as it was for Orwell. It is meant to protect the public, but of course can be used to quell information. In the inclusive line “If we don’t show anyone, we’re free to write anything,” Ginsberg unearths a whole new topic. No one can look inside your mind. It is a tangent, yet the salience remains. The fluidity of the poem is conversational. One contiguous comment leads to another and that’s how some brains work, especially the brains of drug users. An idea can open doors and walk anywhere. Many phrases in this poem are paradoxical. The reader is forced to pause and reread line 13. “Remember the future”. Symbolically, this line forks no roads, but literally it invokes a 30 car pile up. In line 14, “Advise only yourself”, Ginsberg tells the reader to trust your instinct while simultaneously giving advice.

The poet mother had moved from Russia to different states, while his father pursued a job as teaching students and writing poetry and both of Ginsberg parents were Jewish members. Throughout his childhood, his mother had suffered from psychological troubles, including nervous breakdowns. Throughout his preteen years, Allen Ginsberg was inspired by the by the poet Walt Whitman during his high school years. He began to be inspired by this poet and listen to his teacher passionate reading .Ginsberg also got his love for poetry from his father, when they used to attend the poetry reading together. As a teenager, Ginsberg used to have a journal and he would write letters to the New York time about issues that he didn’t like such as World War.

Walt Whitman is regarded as one of the most influential poets in American history while Allen Ginsberg was and still is considered a leading figure of the Beat Generation. Both of these poets have similar poetic tendencies even though they were almost a century apart from each other. Walt Whitman helped to inspire many literary descendants ranging from writers to poets alike. One of his most famous poems is in his book, “Leaves of Grass”, called “Song of Myself”. Allen Ginsberg can be considered one of Walt Whitman’s literary descendants due to the numerous similarities between “Song of Myself” and Ginsberg’s “Howl”, which is about the real experiences of Americans after World War II.