“Howl” the Poem That Made Allen Ginsberg

Introduction

“Howl” by Allen Ginsberg was published in 1955. This poem became one of Allen Ginsberg’s most famous poems, and one of the greatest creations in American literature. Both Ginsberg and his poem “Howl” also became associated with the Beat Generation that went throughout the 1950s. According to Andrew Spacey in “Analysis of Poem Howl by Allen Ginsberg”, “Howl is a long poem split into three parts and is Ginsberg’s most controversial work”.

The Author: Allen Ginsberg

Allen Ginsberg was a famous and influential poet during the 20th century. One of these poems that helped get him to become so well known as a poet was his poem titled “Howl”. Allen Ginsberg was known for his different views in politics and society itself as he “championed gay rights and anti-war movements, protesting the Vietnam War and coining the phrase “Flower Power.”” (Biography.com Editors).

Allen Ginsberg graduated from the University of Columbia in 1948 where he studied in law. After moving to San Francisco, Allen Ginsberg joined what became known as the Beat Movement which used artistic methods to fight against the rules and laws of the society’s government. Sadly, in 1997 Ginsberg was diagnosed with liver cancer, and passed away a few months later due to his illnesses.

About the Poem “Howl”

Ginsberg’s most famous and influential poem that he created was entitled “Howl”. This poem talked about topics that many did not discuss about. The poem talked about sexuality differences and social issues going on in the world. This poem is what gave Ginsberg his reputation of being different from other writers because he had different beliefs that he was not afraid to discuss.

“I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness”, one of the most famous first lines in American literature history. This line discusses how Allen Ginsberg has had to watch his friends and colleagues suffer through the mainstream life of society, like mindless machines going throughout the same routine day after day.

Throughout his poem “Howl”, Allen Ginsberg uses the words ‘who’ or ‘I’m’ as a kind of symbol in order to distinguish each individual thought or sentence he uses in his poem such as: “who poverty and tatters and hollow-eyed and high sat up smoking in the supernatural darkness of cold-water flats floating across the tops of cities contemplating jazz” or even “I’m with you in Rockland where you must feel very strange”. Every new sentence that begins with the word “who” is a way for the author to distinguish and discuss a new way that he has seen his colleagues go through society’s mainstream way of life like mindless machines. When Ginsberg uses the word “I’m” in part three of his poem, it appears to symbolize how he stands by his colleagues in the mainstream life of society.

Ginsberg used this poem to display what he saw in everyday life, allowing for the reader to view what he experienced with his own senses. He used the emotions of the people he witnessed in his writing as well, such as “who wept at the romance of the streets with their pushcarts full of onions and bad music” allowing the readers to feel what the people in the poem “Howl” were going through.

Legacy

The legacy that Allen Ginsberg’s famous poem “Howl” had on the world is how it went against the regular flow of mainstream life. Ginsberg’s different viewpoints on topics such as sexuality and political topics was very influential to many people throughout the world. His poem “Howl” has been known as one of the most influential works of literature in history because of Ginsberg’s unique views and writing style. The bold style of writing that Allen Ginsberg used when writing about his unique topics put him on trial in San Francisco on counts of obscenity. However, he was exonerated thanks to witnesses testifying the redeeming values and beliefs that his poem discussed in its writing.

The work that Allen Ginsberg produced helped to influence future generations of writers to have their own unique viewpoints on culture and politics. After he created his most infamous poem “Howl” that changed American literature for the better, Allen Ginsberg made an impact on society thanks to that very poem. That one piece of literature helped influence and change viewpoints of the readers about American culture. Ginsberg was able to show readers the world as he saw it through his own senses.

Works Cited

Biography.com Editors, Nov. 19 2020

https://www.biography.com/writer/allen-ginsberg

Spacey, Andrew, Jan 10th 2020, Analysis of Poem Howl by Allen Ginsberg

https://owlcation.com/humanities/Analysis-of-Poem-Howl-by-Allen-Ginsberg