Allen Ginsberg Essay Research Paper Allen Ginsberg

Allen Ginsberg Essay, Research Paper

Allen Ginsberg, born on June 3, 1926 in Newark, New Jersey, was one of the founders of the Beatnik subculture. His mother was a Communist and extremely paranoid, often trusting her son while scared of her family and the rest of society. Ginsberg struggled through family conflicts and homosexuality throughout his adolescence. Upon graduating high school, he moved on to Columbia University where he, during his freshman year was introduced to Beats such as Lucien Carr and Jack Kerouac who helped him to escape his bookworm lifestyle.

After spending years trying to turn publishing companies on to the work of his friends, neglecting his own poetry, Ginsberg gained fame in 1955 when he delivered a public reading of his poem Howl at Six Gallery in San Francisco. Following the release of Howl were the releases of other important poems, and Ginsberg began to spend time travelling the world. It was in these travels that he found Buddhism and met and fell in love with Peter Orlovsky.

Early in the 1960.s, Ginsberg was quick to join the hippie movement. From the beginning, he helped Timothy Leary to publicize the discovery of LSD and was a regular speaker at Vietnam War protests. Continuing to publish poetry, he became a signature of the hippie subculture in addition to that of the Beatniks. Additionally, being a famous American poet, he took advantage of the chances to meet important political figures and express to them his radical left-wing views.

After the end of the Hippie movement, Ginsberg continued to attend poetry readings and multicultural gatherings around New York City. He both retained an active social life and continued writing poetry until his death on April 5, 1997.

Ginsberg.s poem Iron Horse, written in July of 1966, early during the Vietnam War, is an elegant example of his poetry. Touching on many of his favorite topics within it, Ginsberg is able, through this poem, to provide the reader with a wonderful introduction to the rest of his poetry. Throughout Iron Horse, Ginsberg discusses some of his favorite topics, including the American landscape, the Vietnam War, and religion.

Ginsberg, throughout Iron Horse, focuses on a beautiful description of the landscape through his biased eyes. Clouded by his feelings about the war, it is clear that, while the country is described, in numerous ways, as being beautiful, a much darker connotation is being conveyed. References to the presence of car exhaust and fumes, in addition to comments on factory pollution, are repeated throughout descriptions of cities. General feelings of both isolation and loneliness are captured as the narrator sits upon a bus, longing to be able to be one with nature.

Yet another significant factor within Iron Horse are the feelings about the Vietnam War. From his writing on the soldiers, appearing throughout the poem, it is clear that Ginsberg has an overall feeling of disdain for the government due to its military actions in Vietnam. The soldiers that have been sent to war are portrayed as being trapped and left without a choice by the government; those serving at home are shown as having a feeling of being trapped by an obligation to their country. When speaking on the war in general, Ginsberg shows the opinion that there.s no reason for the U.S. military to even be in Vietnam in the first place.

Though it is referred to only slightly before the very end of the poem, religion is also clearly an important factor in Iron Horse. Given Ginsberg.s affiliation with the religion.s of both Buddhism and Judaism, it is clear that he, much like the soldiers he speaks of throughout the poem, also feels rather trapped. Speaking on religious figures, in addition to his own feelings, the message is again conveyed that he sees no reason for the U.S. to be in Vietnam. The aforementioned feeling of being trapped is concreted by the fact that, due to his religious background, he feels that it is not his place to participate, in any way, in the Vietnam War.

In addition to the above-mentioned issues, other things of which Ginsberg likes to write were discussed within Iron Horse. Very strongly conveyed throughout the poem are his general feelings of irritation with the U.S. government, not only in terms of the Vietnam War. Also, scattered throughout are references to the drug culture, in which Ginsberg was deeply involved as a poet, a person, and a Beatnik.

Wales Visitation, another poem of Ginsberg.s, was written in the summer of August 1967, partially while under the influence of LSD. Again, Ginsberg makes a point of depicting a lovely landscape, this time with a more positive outlook. Additionally, he speaks of advancement and technology, phrased in a negative light as he describes a .thorned tower..

Ginsberg, overall, has very little appreciation for technology, as he saw that it was destructive to the environment. Early in the poem, there is a rash irritation with London, it.s buildings, and television. This is not stated, but the general feeling of that section of the poem exhibits these attitudes.

Later though, the poet joyously explores various aspects of nature. Outside of the city, statements are made on the beauty of the natural world. Mountains, plants, and animals are described in such a way that one would not only believe them to be living, but also to be aware of themselves