Social Pressures Reflected in Ginsberg's Howl
analytical Essay
914 words
Social Pressures Reflected in Ginsberg's Howl
Post World War II America produced a number of images that will be forever imprinted on the minds of Americans. Such images as television shows like "Leave It To Beaver" and "I Love Lucy," movies such as "An Affair To Remember," and "Brigadoon," are watched frequently even in today's society. But in this world of fairytale movies and the "American Dream," what about those who didn't fit into the picture of perfection and prosperity? These men became the basis of an underground network of dissident writers, teachers, artists and filmmakers. Often a reaction against the strict standards of normalcy held by the American public and the bureaucracy of the government, their work not only carried them through the 50's and 60's, but continues to inspire those who are exposed to it.
The literature from this generation was defined clearly by two works; "On the Road," by Jack Kerouac, and "Howl," by Allen Ginsberg. These writings were a stark reality check for the American people who lived in their idealistic neighborhoods. With the expressed purpose of bringing the reality of aberration to society, Allen Ginsberg created a masterpiece in "Howl." It is the portrayal of the lives of many of his closest friends and associates, among them, Neal Cassady, Peter Orlovsky, William Burroughs, and Jack Kerouac.
"Howl," published in 1956, is a poem in three parts. The first, and perhaps most quoted section, explains how Allen Ginsberg saw "the best minds" of his generation "destroyed by madness." He carefully describes the repression his group faced because of their beliefs and actions. The American society did not accept Ginsberg's homosexuality, his political beliefs, or his use of ...
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...d, was accepted in to the daily works, he proved that the life of one person honestly can change the world. His contribution to literature is the greatest of his time, and should be admired for the courage in adversity shown throughout all his works. A great man, Hubert H. Humphrey once said, "The great challenge which faces us is to assure that, in our society of big-ness, we do not strangle the voice of creativity, that the rules of the game do not come to overshadow its purpose, that the grand orchestration of society leaves ample room for the man who marches to the music of a different drummer." If this is indeed the great challenge facing all of us, Ginsberg certainly pushed America and Americans in the right direction with poems like "Howl," proving that endurance will win out over adversity if we, like
Ginsberg, would only have the patience to persevere.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how ginsberg's howl reflects the social pressures of the 1950s and 60s in america. these men became the basis of an underground network of dissident writers, teachers, artists and filmmakers
- Analyzes how allen ginsberg's "howl" portrays the lives of many of his closest friends and associates, including jack kerouac and neal cassady.
- Analyzes how "howl," published in 1956, is a poem in three parts. the first section explains how allen ginsberg saw "the best minds" of his generation "destroyed by madness."
- Analyzes the social power of ginsberg's statements, and concludes that society was not welcoming to him. he reacted to that through his writing, especially in "howl."
- Analyzes how ginsberg describes almost everything about american culture as a moloch in "howl."
- Opines that moloch's mind is pure machinery, his blood is running money, and his fingers are ten armies. his breast is a cannibal dynamo.
- Analyzes how the third section of "howl" is a striking contrast to the other two parts. it is written directly to ginsberg's lover, carl solomon.
- Analyzes how the subject of ping-pong comes up frequently in "howl," and it is believed to represent ginsberg's emotions in relation to his changing perspective of american society.
- Analyzes how ginsberg in "howl" reflects on his life and points out all the good things. it is ironically the happier end to a blatantly hellish poem.
- Analyzes how the poet, allen ginsberg, has gone through the horrifying experiences described from life in these pages. he has found a fellow whom he can love without looking aside in howl. the spirit of love survives to ennoble our lives.
- Explains that allen ginsberg endured more in a span of thirty years than most would have had to deal with in two lifetimes. his ability to face the world and the society that drove him to such lengths was amazing.
- Opines that ginsberg's contribution to literature is the greatest of his time, and should be admired for the courage in adversity shown throughout all his works.
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- Summary Of Allen Ginsberg's Americaanalytical essayWar, Minorities and Labor Unions The 1950’s beatniks gather around coffeeshops, writing and grumbling about the unfairness of the government and society’s closed mind. Today, youth gather around their laptops and type away, despairing over the unfairness of the government and society’s closed mind. Allen Ginsberg’s poetry embodies those angry youth. His unique choices in diction, symbolism and imagery artfully conveys his criticism against the wrongdoings of Uncle Sam and his subjects.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how allen ginsberg's poetry embodies those angry youth. his unique choices in diction, symbolism and imagery artfully conveys his criticism against the wrongdoings of uncle sam and his subjects.
- Analyzes how allen ginsberg's poem america depicts a tired man, broke, walking through the streets the day of january 17, 1956.
- Analyzes how ginsberg's crestfallen tone shows that, as a citizen, the government let people down.
- Analyzes how guilt-tripped the government, asking when america will be angelic, and complaining about capitalism, citing the evils of consumer culture. the spirit of capitalistic private ownership lead businessmen to create their own rules.
- Analyzes how ginsberg rambles about william burroughs, a beatnik who escaped to morocco, and his rebellious extortions. this imagery uses symbolism seen often in eastern art and literature.
- Analyzes how ginsberg and his contemporaries dreamed of communism, but african americans saw it as the ultimate tool for equality.
- Analyzes how the intensity of corruption varies in places and time eras, but it is present. ginsberg's poetry would be thicker and angrier if he lived today.
- Analyzes the sociological impact of ginsberg's "america sacco and vanzetti must not die" case, which shows distrust over immigrants at the height of the red scare.
- Analyzes how ginsberg glazes over the poem, but he still hasn't given up on his country and fellow men.
- Analyzes how allen ginsberg's america is a giant rant of what is wrong during his generation. he uses heavy imagery and plant symbols to illustrate his point.
1849 wordsRead More - A Literary Analysis Of Howl By Allen Ginsberganalytical essayA Cry to Society: A Literary Analysis of Howl by Allen Ginsberg “If people believe it is real, it is real in its consequences.” -W.I. Thomas Could there be people who are consciously aware about how they live and the way society shapes them? The quote that W.I. Thomas, in other words, means that when people think something is true, there will be consequences from that belief. For example, when I was young, these girls for some reason did not like who I was and began to spread rumors about me. Therefore, people believed them.
In this essay, the author
- Explains w.i. thomas' quote that when people think something is true, there will be consequences from that belief. it portrays how each day, people behave and interact with the environment around them yet are unconsciously aware why they do.
- Analyzes how ginsberg's poem howl is not like most poems. it contains no stanzas but many lines, which is a long, grammatically correct sentence.
- Analyzes how ginsberg describes inmates as "impossible criminals with golden heads and the charm of reality in their hearts who sang sweet blues to alcatraz."
- Analyzes how ginsberg is frustrated, confused, questioning the status quo in the poem. he practiced dadaism, an artistic art movement that opposed social, political, and cultural values.
- Analyzes how ginsberg uses moloch as a metaphor for institutions and society today.
- Analyzes how ginsberg's poem, howl, is short and straight to the point. he disregards profanity and obscene actions to emphasize that social injustice is everywhere and that it is okay.
1328 wordsRead More - Analysis Of Alle Allen Ginsberg's Howlanalytical essayEscaping Loneliness Mental illness is defined by Mayo Clinic as “disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior” (Mental Illness). When a person is labeled as mentally ill or when they exhibit unusual behavior (not related to mental illness) they are marked as different in society’s eye; this has been the condition for hundreds of years and it continues in society today. When a person is marked as different, it is thought they need to be “fixed” or made to conform somehow in order to be “normal” and to function within a normal society. Many times “fixing” people who are marked as mentally ill requires that they be institutionalized within controlled environments, such as psychiatric wards and asylums, or trapped within their own minds and controlled by medication.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that mental illness is defined by mayo clinic as "disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior"
- Explains that allen ginsberg was an american poet with a unique way of thinking, so society marked him and his work as different.
- Explains that ginsberg attended columbia university with the intentions "to study law" but took a liking to language. while attending columbia, he met some "central figures" from the beat movement.
- Explains that the beats generation was a group of like-minded individuals who were marked different in the eyes of society.
- Analyzes how ginsberg resists isolation by surrounding himself with like-minded individuals; through howl, he invites readers to join him on this journey to see what it was like to live in a society post wwii.
- Analyzes how allen ginsberg expresses a sense of community in part iii and cries out, "carl solomon! i’m with you in rockland."
- Analyzes how allen ginsberg refused to let himself be marked and isolated without trying to do something about it. through howl he built a community of support.
1235 wordsRead More - The banning of books on the grounds of obscenity was not an uncommon practice. Countless works of literature were banned for having mention of sexually explicit language or a sexual act, even though the work as a whole did not intend to serve this purpose. Disagreements arose from this premise and there was a lack of clarity as to what dictated obscenity and who decided what is suitable for the public to read. Other legal matters such as the rights protected under the First Amendment were questioned. When the writing of Allen Ginsberg’s poem Howl was brought to court, it changed the perception of obscenity in literature.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the banning of books on the grounds of obscenity was not an uncommon practice. disagreements arose from this premise, and legal matters such as the rights protected under the first amendment were questioned.
- Analyzes how ginsberg's first recitation of his poem howl at the six gallery reading in san francisco was met with praise and applause.
- Analyzes how ferlinghetti published howl and other poems through the british printer villiers. when the book shipped to san francisco, federal collector of customs chester macphee seized over 500 copies on accounts of obscenity.
- Explains how ferlinghetti was arrested for selling howl and other poems by undercover cops. the aclu provided bail for him and murao, but the trial was switched to judge clayton w. horn.
- Analyzes how the aclu enlisted j.w. ehrlich to defend ferlinghetti in the trial, while ralph mcintosh represented the state of california.
- Analyzes how nine literary witnesses contributed to the defense of howl as literature. mcintosh attacked the use of language in the poem, questioning the necessity of offensive words.
- Explains how judge horn declared howl and other poems to have redeeming social value and literary merit. horn defended howl by stating, "an author should be real in treating his subject and be allowed to express his thoughts and ideas in his own words."
- Explains how fanny hill: memoirs of a woman of pleasure, by john cleland, was the first book to fall victim to sexual suppression and obscenity charges.
- Explains how the howl trial paved the way for many authors to artistically express themselves freely and without restraint. ginsberg's use of unconventional language allowed him to convey his message and change the perception of obscenity.
1306 wordsRead More - Beats as a countercultureanalytical essayMany of the Beat writers wrote in a style known as spontaneous prose. Allen Ginsberg often writes in this style. He does so in the poem “Howl” in which he rants and raves about society via his friends – Jack Kerouac, Willaim S. Burroughs, Lawrence Ferlingetti, and Neil Cassidy to name a few, live. He discusses their poverty, civil disobedience, the ways that they fight society, and his personal fight against industrialization; he uses many images in order to allow the reader to understand his lifestyle, the lifestyle of his friends and points of view, specifically their rejection of society.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how allen ginsberg writes in a style known as spontaneous prose. he rants and raves about society via his friends, jack kerouac, willaim s. burroughs, lawrence ferlingetti, and neil cassidy.
- Analyzes how ginsberg depicts the deprived environment in which he chooses to live in through imagery.
- Analyzes how the beats were connected to the reality of poverty. they chose this poverty stricken lifestyle to further reject society.
- Analyzes how the beats were strong willed and opinionated and were not afraid to get arrested for a cause.
- Analyzes how the beats threw their watches off the roof to cast their ballot for eternity outside of time, and alarm clocks fell on their heads every day for the next decade. the ultimate act of anti-society is suicide.
- Analyzes ginsberg's anti-industrialization views in section ii of "howl." "moloch" is used as a word that symbolizes industrialization.
- Analyzes how ginsberg reinforces the second section with the first and third sections by showing the reader that he is anti-society.
- Analyzes how allen ginsberg complains about his life and society. he explains his points using amazing imagery that allows the reader to see exactly what he/she is writing about.
1057 wordsRead More - Allen Ginsberganalytical essayGinsberg’s poems were that of a revolutionary and showed his dislikes of American Society and the Injustices throughout America. Ginsberg’s most recognized and an earliest poem was Howl and other poems written in 1956 (Ostriker 4). Howl being one of Ginsberg’s most infamous poems has been translated to the T. In Alicia Ostriker’s criticism of Howl she relates Ginsberg’s “Meloch” in part two of Howl to many of the evils that befall this nation today (5). Ostriker states, “Ginsberg’s mind forged Meloch likewise as oppressiveness of a modern industrial and military state, excluded from reason. Ginsberg’s Meloch is also the modern version of Mammon, the capitalism of unobtainable dollars… running money… electricity and banks. (7).” Howl records in veiled fashion, the humiliation and crippling of a population of immigrants to shores, which promised, hope and produced despair (3). In the poem Howl’s (1956) first lines, “ 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. (Ginsberg, Howl)” Ginsberg is speaking of the destruction that drugs have caused in American Society and America’s addiction to drugs.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how ginsberg relates his dislikes towards the capitalist economy and the injustices in america to capitalism.
- Analyzes how helen vendler says these lines summed up the poem's rage towards capitalism and capitalism’s imperialistic shadow.
- Narrates how they used to be a communist when they were kids, and they're not sorry.
- Analyzes how ginsberg questions america's past and present policies dealing with communist countries.
- Analyzes how ginsberg is reflecting on america's foolish reactions to communist russia referred to as her and america as him.
- Analyzes how ginsberg challenged government issues of privacy and personal freedom while earning himself a spot on the fbi's potentially dangerous and subversive list.
- Analyzes how ginsberg gained the attention and followers of the beat generation through his poems and lectures.
- Analyzes alicia ostriker's "howl revisited: the poet as jew" in the american poetry review.
- Analyzes helen vendler's book, "allen ginsberg: in soul says: on recent poetry.
- Explains that allen ginsberg started his infamous life as a revolutionary and poet of the beat generation when he attended colombia university.
- Analyzes how ginsberg's more politically inspired poems include hadda be playing on the jukebox, america, and industrial waves.
- Analyzes how ginsberg's anger over the widespread corruption in america is seen in the following lines.
- Analyzes how ginsberg struggles with his dislikes, grievances and hopes of and for america in his politically inspired poem america.
- Opines that the russia wants to eat us alive. she wants our cars from out our garages.
1588 wordsRead More - A Comparison of Whitman’s Song of Myself with Ginsberg’s Howlanalytical essayAmerican poetry, unlike other nations’ poetry, is still in the nascent stage because of the absence of a history in comparison to other nations’ poetry humming with matured voices. Nevertheless, in the past century, American poetry has received the recognition it deserves from the creative poetic compositions of Walt Whitman, who has been called “the father of American poetry.” His dynamic style and uncommon content is well exhibited in his famous poem “Song of Myself,” giving a direction to the American writers of posterity. In addition, his distinct use of the line and breath has had a huge impression on the compositions of a number of poets, especially on the works of the present-day poet Allen Ginsberg, whose debatable poem “Howl” reverberates with the traits of Whitman’s poetry. Nevertheless, while the form and content of “Howl” may have been impressed by “Song of Myself,” Ginsberg’s poem expresses a change from Whitman’s use of the line, his first-person recital, and his vision of America. As Whitman’s seamless lines are open-ended, speaking the voice of a universal speaker presenting a positive outlook of America, Ginsberg’s poem, on the contrary, uses long lines that end inward to present the uneasiness and madness that feature the vision of America that Ginsberg exhibits through the voice of a prophetic speaker.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that american poetry is still in the nascent stage because of the absence of a history in comparison to other nations' poetry humming with matured voices.
- Compares whitman's "song of myself" with ginsberg' "howl." both poets' use of line is similar — long free verse line.
- Compares ginsberg with whitman, who uses the personal pronoun ‘i’ more often, culminating in the hug between the body and soul, town and country, sexuality and spirituality.
- Analyzes how whitman focused on the spiritual vision that americans should carry forward for posterity. the line in "song of myself" shows the working of a mind in changed degree of consciousness, indicating his personal involvement in 1840s politics.
- Analyzes how ginsberg attacks the conservative concepts of 'holiness', redefines them, and befits the have-nots in "song of myself".
- Analyzes how whitman's lines connect to the outer sphere, while ginsberg’s line is inward. both poets have exhibited limited similarity in the use of line.
- Describes the works of whitman and ginsberg.
1225 wordsRead More - Inadequate Secondary Education in the United Statesexplanatory essayTwo years ago, I used to work at a photo shop in downtown Philadelphia. Except for me, the only foreigner, there were five Americans working there. Once, we talked about the American life in the beginning of the twentieth century. To support my opinion, I used an example from a short story called “The Gift of the Magi” by a famous American writer O. Henry. It was a very shocking experience for me to find out that nobody knew who O. Henry was or what he had done for the world literature.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that it is time to open the eyes to the modern world and develop a new "world-class curriculum" for use in all american schools.
- Explains ravitch, diane, and chester e. finn jr. what do our 17-year-olds know?
- Explains that american high school graduates are ranked low compared to other countries.
- Describes the logical conclusion based on statistics of the national assessment of history and literature.
923 wordsRead More - Filmmakers on the Holocaustanalytical essaySturken uses Stone’s credibility of his past to determine the legitimacy of the docudramas created by Stone. Stone as a filmmaker is often thought of as the individual that Americans were looking for by having his well-known films Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July that represented history well due to the credibility he had for serving in the war. Sturken uses this as an early example to prove her point on how history is represented from a specific perspective. Although later on in her article she uses Stone’s other films about government conspiracies, which shows that he does not have the authority to create a false history within the American culture through his presidential films. By having films being created under the genre of “docudrama” it can create a misconception of wha...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how marita sturken uses the example of oliver stone's docudramas to explain how stone uses his experiences to retell the story, while barbie zelizer uses steven spielberg as a filmmaker to explore how individuals remember major events without specifically witnessing them.
- Analyzes how sturken uses stone's credibility of his past to determine the legitimacy of the docudramas created by stone.
- Analyzes how zelizer uses spielberg and popular culture to understand how we would remember the past and how filmmakers are making them out.
- Compares sturken and zelizer's use of filmmakers as historians to create a representation of the past.
- Compares stone and spielberg's docudramas, but the legitimacy is only to a certain point. zelizer uses popular culture to represent the past.
- Explains that filmmakers can use docudramas or documentary style ways of telling the narrative of the event, but is limited to what certain documents can pull from to tell the story. stone and spielberg carefully select specific scenes that accurately represent major events through their own credibility or popular culture.
1018 wordsRead More - America and the Decay of Morality: The Great Gatsby and The Sun Also Rises Introductionanalytical essayAmerica is a popular image in literature and films. Dozens of writers sought to expose America’s vices and evaluate the consistency of its values, morality, and ethical norms. The pursuit for material wealth and the American dream were the topics most frequently discussed in American literature during the 1920s. The effects of World War I on individual beliefs and ideals, the ongoing decay of morality, the hollowness of dreams and convictions, and the failure to materialize one’s life goals together created a complicated situation, which often resembled a journey for nothing.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that america is a popular image in literature and films. dozens of writers sought to expose america's vices and evaluate the consistency of its values, morality, and ethical norms.
- Analyzes how f. scott fitzgerald's the great gatsby and ernest hemingway' 'the sun also rises' are similar in their commitment to the failure of the american dream and its moral hollowness.
- Analyzes how the two modernist writers depict america in the 1920’s in a state of moral decay and the pursuit for material wealth gradually replaces the purity of conventional moral ideals and beliefs in their ways.
- Analyzes how the post-war conditions and social developments of 1920s-america contributed to the increasing decay of moral values and led the characters of both novels to make difficult and, at times, inappropriate choices.
- Analyzes how gatsby is the best representation of how the american dream worked against the social and ethical stability of american society.
- Analyzes how nick's comment demonstrates the failure in the ideal goal. hemingway pursues the same line of ideas to depict his characters as representatives of the lost generation.
- Analyzes how hemingway's the sun also rises depicts the aimlessness of the post-war quest for material wealth and the depth of moral and ethical loss which american people experienced during the 1920s.
- Narrates how they passed ney's statue among the new-leaved chestnut trees in the arc-light. the inscription: from the bonapartist groups, some date: i forget.
- Analyzes how the statue of ney symbolizes the failure of the american dream — the latter had to become a visible representation and remind the americans of their goals and ends.
- Compares the representations of space which both stories' main characters are based in. fiedler argues that the earthly paradise for men only is associated with the west.
- Narrates how he had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close, but the dream was already behind him, somewhere in the vast obscurity beyond the city.
- Opines that gatsby should have stayed in the primitive west. he got in trouble because of daisy's car accident.
- Analyzes fitzgerald and hemingway's view of america of the 1920s as a country filled with autonomy, individualism, cynicism, and obscenity.
- Analyzes how nick is the brightest representation of the autonomous beliefs and values. his autonomy borders on cynicism and leads him to reject his own identity.
- Analyzes how hemingway uses his characters to emphasize autonomy and autonomy, which uniquely combines with the female pursuit for sexuality, sex, and physiological satisfaction.
- Analyzes how fitzgerald uses complex structure to tell gatsby's story or failure of american dream and moral and virtue decay through the most balanced and honest character, nick.
- Analyzes how hemingway developed a prose characterized by conscientious simplicity of diction and sentence structure. the conversation between the count, jake, and brett is an example of what the audience can interpret.
- Analyzes how fitzgerald and hemingway's the great gatsby and the sun also rises portray american failure and pursue its ideals after the end of world war i.
2099 wordsRead More