Allen Ginsbergs Howl :: essays papers

The pulsation Movement in modern literature has become an important periodin the history of literature and society in America. Incorporatinginfluences such as jazz, art, literature, philosophy, and religion, the stun writers created a new and prophetic vision of modern life andchanged the way an inviolate generation of people see the world. Thatgeneration is now aging and its typical voices are becoming lostto eternity, but the message is alive and well. The bothers make up foreveraltered the nature of American consciousness.The impact of the Beats would for sure not have been as universal orinfluential if not for the pen of one meter Howl by AllenGinsbergI saw the silk hat minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the black streets at dawn looking for an angry fix, angelheaded hipsters burning for the antiquated heavenly connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of night.(1-3)These lines, perhaps the mos t well know in 20th century poetry, serveas a thematic statement for a poem that offers a new way of thinking, a thought of hope of escape from the Molochs of society. The story of thepoems history serves well as an story of the birth of the BeatGeneration. Ginsbergs life leading up to the writing of Howl, theactual establishment of the poem, its legendary first reading, and theaftermath of its public debut all work up prominently into the history ofthe literary movement. One can understand the impact of the poem on theBeat Generation by studying not but the chronology of its past, but itsintricate and unique structure as well as its themes and ultimatemessage. Following is an examination of the poem as the greatexpression of Beat defiance, beginning with a short history of the poem. Ginsbergs Beat career began at capital of South Carolina University in 1943 where hemet Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs, Neal Cassidy and others. Thisgroup of writers would remain life-long friends of Ginsberg andinfluence him in myriad ways. The history of Howl, however, begins in1953 after Ginsbergs move to San Francisco in search of poeticalinspiration. Having moved away from the camaraderie of his group of NewYork friends, Ginsberg began to feel garbled and depressed. Ginsbergknew he was at a crossroads in his art between his apprenticeship toacademic models of literature (mentor William Carlos Williamsspecifically), and breaking through to a personal voice which could peachof experience beyond the bounds of what was permissible - by 50sAllen Ginsbergs Howl essays papersThe Beat Movement in modern literature has become an important periodin the history of literature and society in America. Incorporatinginfluences such as jazz, art, literature, philosophy, and religion, theBeat writers created a new and prophetic vision of modern life andchanged the way an entire generation of people see the world. Thatgeneration is now aging and its representative voices are becoming lostto eternity, but the message is alive and well. The Beats have foreveraltered the nature of American consciousness.The impact of the Beats would certainly not have been as universal orinfluential if not for the writing of one poem Howl by AllenGinsbergI 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, angelheaded hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of night.(1-3)These lines, perhaps the most well known in 20th century poetry, serveas a thematic statement for a poem that offers a new way of thinking, asense of hope of escape from the Molochs of society. The story of thepoems history serves well as an account of the birth of the BeatGeneration. Ginsbergs life leading up to the writing of Howl, theactual creation of the poem, its legendary first reading, and theaftermath of its public debut all f igure prominently into the history ofthe literary movement. One can understand the impact of the poem on theBeat Generation by studying not only the chronology of its past, but itsintricate and unique structure as well as its themes and ultimatemessage. Following is an examination of the poem as the greatexpression of Beat defiance, beginning with a short history of the poem. Ginsbergs Beat career began at Columbia University in 1943 where hemet Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs, Neal Cassidy and others. Thisgroup of writers would remain life-long friends of Ginsberg andinfluence him in myriad ways. The history of Howl, however, begins in1953 after Ginsbergs move to San Francisco in search of poeticinspiration. Having moved away from the camaraderie of his group of NewYork friends, Ginsberg began to feel dislocated and depressed. Ginsbergknew he was at a crossroads in his art between his apprenticeship toacademic models of literature (mentor William Carlos Williamsspecificall y), and breaking through to a personal voice which could singof experience beyond the bounds of what was permissible - by 50s