Allen Ginsberg's Views Of The Beat Movement

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Recommended: Literature`s impact on society

Eimear Lynch
Dr. Prestridge
English 1102 2:00 pm
November 13, 2017

The Beat Movement The Beat Movement was an unconventional movement that originated in the 1950’s, after the Second -World -War. The Beat poets used the post Second -World- War era as a platform for the social and literary movement. The societal turmoil was the perfect atmosphere for the Beat movement, helping the movement thrive and circulating it across the United States. The Beat Movement, and its poets, challenged many societal norms such as drugs and sexuality, by advocating for self-illumination through means of alternative substances and experiences. The artists of the Beat Generation helped change society’s views on these contentious topics which at the time, were
It also talks about how the poets found inspiration and excitement through music, specifically jazz. “The poets travelled to free their mind, and become more intune with their spirituality” (Beatdom, 1). Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl” greatly impacted readers and American society. “Some Americans found the poem liberating, but the majority of people found it incredibly obscene and extremely controversial” (Kaplan, 1). Some Americans found the poem so offensive, in fact, that Ginsberg was arrested in San Francisco in the late 1950’s shortly after his poem was released. The poem opened the eyes of American citizens, showing them another way of viewing sexuality and other topics that were deemed explicit. (The importance of obscenity, 1). “Howl” painted an all too realistic picture of a society and its norms that exclusively benefitted the people who were willing to conform to its strict rules. (The importance of obscenity, 1). The Beat poets rebelled against society because they refused to change or hide who they were for the sole intent of societal acceptance. Wearing their individuality on their sleeves, the ideology of Beat poets demonstrated to people that straying from stereotypical archetypes was not only acceptable, but encouraged. Beat poets emphasized the importance of not tearing one another down because of something so benign as one’s
• “The Beat Generation.” The Literature Network: Online Classic Literature, Poems, and Quotes. Essays & Summaries, www.online-literature.com/periods/beat.php.
• The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Beat Movement.” Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 17 Sept. 2013, www.britannica.com/art/Beat-movement.
• “Eileen Myles and Solmaz Sharif: A Conversation Across Generations.” Poets.org, Academy of American Poets, 9 Nov. 2016, www.poets.org/poetsorg/text/brief-guide-beat-poets.
• Kaplan, Fred. “How ‘Howl’ Changed the World.” Slate Magazine, 24 Sept. 2010, www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/life_and_art/2010/09/how_howl_changed_the_world.html.
• el34ax7, /. “The Importance of Obscenity in Allen Ginsberg's Poem.” Mild Musings from a Mediocre Man, 5 Dec. 2012, el34ax7.wordpress.com/2012/12/05/the-importance-of-obscenity-in-allen-ginsbergs-poem-howl/.
• says, Alfred K. LaMotte (Fred), and Sam Silva says. “The Intersection of Buddhism and the Beat Generation .” Empty Mirror, 20 Oct. 2017,

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