Change

Have you ever felt out of place and hoped to be accepted? Or perhaps, your beliefs were different than others and you just wanted change? This is what the two authors of the poems I will compare in this essay felt. “September 1, 1939” by W.H. Auden was written right after the start of World War II. Auden uses the war and what America was facing to convey his true feelings without literally expressing them. During this time period, writers had to be very careful. If misunderstood the consequences could have been major. “Supermarket in California” by Allen Ginsberg evokes Walt Whitman, an American poet, to assist in explaining Ginsberg’s true feelings and hopes for America. Ginsberg has very strong beliefs but his playful writing allows the audience to openly receive the message. Both authors struggled with America’s way of life and used poetry to disguise their true feelings. They hoped for change, meanwhile avoiding the criticism that might follow.

“September 1, 1939” was a poem that could have caused many controversies, especially for its author. Auden was a very skillful writer that was able to express his homosexuality without alarming the audience, in a period that did not accept his sexual preference. The poem starts off with Auden sitting in a bar in New York thinking about the causes of the war and about democracy. He then takes into account the other people at the bar and he discusses love. After that he realizes that he has a voice and ends with him stating his hopes. During this time in America, homosexuality was a disease that was looked down upon and could have very serious repercussions. Auden was very aware of this and afraid that someone might be able to truly understand the meaning of the poem. Afte...

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...You are always going to have those who disagree. Ginsberg wanted the old America back where everyone knew each other and communicated. He wanted to have meaningful exchanges with others where things meant more than just their literal meaning. He longed for change, but unfortunately, this is the kind of change that only a tremendously traumatic event can cause. This nation is growing so rapidly and along with it grows technology and the old ways disappear.

Works Cited

Auden, W.H. “September 18, 1939” Backpack Literature An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry,

Drama and Writing. Fourth. Eds. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. New Jersey. Pearson, 2012. 585-587. Print.

Ginsberg, Allen. “A Supermarket in California” Backpack Literature An Introduction to Fiction,

Poetry, Drama and Writing. Fourth. Eds. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. New Jersey. Pearson, 2012. 611. Print.