Howling at America and All Who Inhabit It

D’Andrea Coulter

Focht-Hansen

Literary Criticism

05/02/2015

Howling at America and All Who Inhabit It

        “Howl” by Allen Ginsberg was a very astonishing poem that nearly blew readers away. This author is very rebellious when it comes to writing a poem because he doesn’t write it traditionally. Ginsberg uses harsh language and unusual punctuation. However, Ginsberg made his readers see the world differently. He opened the eyes of his readers by showing the real world, who turns this world into what it is and who they are affecting. He goes into detail about a lot of it and it makes a reader wonder what kind of world did Ginsberg see or live in that would make individuals who inhabit this world want to destroy it. The poem “HOWL,” is a lengthy, natural cry from a human. Ginsberg’s poem strongly transfers the logic of an unexpected, furious outbreak of instincts, of the issue of troubled people and literary strengths. This poem of Ginsberg’s was a symbol of public protest.

        In the Beat Generation Movement, Ginsberg was a very pivotal character. According to Josh Rahn, “They saw runaway capitalism as destructive to the human spirit and antithetical to social equality. In addition to their dissatisfaction with consumer culture, the Beats railed against the stifling prudery of their parents’ generation. The taboos against frank discussions of sexuality were seen as unhealthy and possibly damaging to the psyche. In the world of literature and art, the Beats stood in opposition to the clean, almost antiseptic formalism of the early twentieth century Modernists. They fashioned a literature that was more bold, straightforward, and expressive than anything that had come before.” This kind of writing reflects the kind of writing Ginsberg did for “HOWL”. He was straightforward with his beliefs and refused to sugarcoat anything for the sake of anyone’s pride or traditions.

        The elements that are vested in the poem are all very important as they portray the tragedy of Ginsberg. “HOWL” is believed to be a vision into his personal experiences and the way he perceives the world as a whole. William Carlos Williams stated, “It is the poet Allen Ginsberg, who has gone, in his own body, through the horrifying experiences described from life in these pages.” Thus, it is clear the poet hunted for words that would result to him being personified. Ginsberg can care less of the form of words; what he concentrates on is the influence and helpfulness that his words can carry. The poet looks for honest and fierce reactions.

        Ginsberg’s way of writing is not controlled, yet based on a natural word of concepts; infuriating a literary disgrace.  The influential symbols of the city streets were meant to provide influential outcomes of the reader. Ginsberg’s words downgraded the culture to be neck and neck to the streets and neighborhoods. Hence, his use of harsh language and images are made to look indecent or crude, including allegories to sex, drugs, and homosexuality. Many people may state that the method of “HOWL” written by Ginsberg was formed after his personal life. That might be true, but what he achieves to do is to openly show his views the way they engulf him. Some examples would be rebelliousness, fear, madness, happiness, suicide, fatigue and fury.

        It is commonly known that blood flows throughout veins in the body and this method is consistent and keeps a person alive. Well, Ginsberg view of this, according to “HOWL,” differently. Ginsberg wrote, “…whose blood is running money (Line 83, Part II),” and that automatically makes the reader think of the behavior that helps destroy the environment which is consumerism. In Ginsberg’s eyes he doesn’t view blood running through the body, but money, someone would think that its money that keeps them alive. Saving, buying and spending money has become everyone’s first priority, but people are so much more than what they put in their wallets and bank accounts. Money has clouded the eyes of everyone and now it is running through veins.

        The line “Moloch! Whose fingers are ten armies,” shows that Moloch has power when it comes to war. Pacifism is what Ginsberg and those who were apart of the beat generation addressed. Society has put war on a pedestal, “It left people in the 1950s with a huge sense of community and a booming economy, so it came out appearing to have a positive effect on society. Society was quick to forget the bloodshed while its people were displaced by the cold memories of war (Y.B).” Moloch, according to Ginsberg is “…the loveless…Moloch! The heavy judger of men (line 81, Part II),” and he was everything Ginsberg and the beat generation opposed. There was an outpour in contrast to appearance and a drive for inflexibility. Moloch would be the one who would judge a person of their sexual preference or if one was too sexual. Just like the Moloch, the government wanted to have power over people’s minds; to keep those minds in a jail cell of consumerism.  “When people would try to free their minds from the clutches of capitalism they were judged by the whole of society (Y.B).” According to Ginsberg, people tried to find peace and run from reality by doing drugs.