Mechanization To Religion In Allen Ginsberg's 'Howl'

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Various themes can be found in poetry and stories. “Howl,” is about the world in which Allen Ginsberg is lived in at the time. The poem is about the people and the falling of the world around. Ginsberg holds a disdain for the world he is living in and expresses his point of view in this poem. In “Howl” there are various themes that can be found, from mechanization to religion. Through the use of literary devices such as, imagery, anaphora, and metaphor, Allen Ginsberg uses religion in “Howl” to show the structures of society. He especially uses, Moloch – a false God – in the poem to show what he believed to be the conformity of people. However, he also uses small portions of the poem to show the other religious views there are. In the first section of “Howl,” Ginsberg uses an anaphoric return going with the word “who.” He also does this in second section with “Moloch.” However, in the first section with “who,” raises the question as to why the people the way they are. The poem moves from the first to the second section describing the victims into the second describing the perpetrator. This is essentially Moloch. Ginsberg brings about the idea that they are behaving in this sort of rebellion, because for some unknown reason they have begun to worship Moloch. Moloch has become a symbol for what Ginsberg thinks of America at the time. Ginsberg sees …show more content…

It holds a redemptive quality. Ginsberg uses this as a way to imply that he thinks there is some sort of hope left in this world. He does not believe it has become completely corrupt. He writes “The world is holy! The soul is holy! The skin is holy! The nose is holy!” (lines 3-4). Using the word “Holy,” he uses it as a redemptive connotation in the poem. The people are not the ones to be blamed for their mistakes; he blames the evil corruption that has taken over their society. Ginsberg is using Moloch to describe the evil corruption that has taken

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