Analysis of Howl by Allen Ginsberg
Howl is one of the most information packed poems I have ever read. In this two part beat poem, he uses allusions, metaphors, rants and rhetoric to compose “the poem that changed America”. There is so much meaning behind every part and line of this poem, so for time's’ sake I’ll only be analyzing the first stanza.
“I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by
madness, starving hysterical naked,
dragging themselves through the negro streets at
angelheaded hipsters burning for the ancient
heavenly connection to the starry dynamo in the
machinery of night”
By the best minds of his generation he is referring to people like Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Gary Snyder, Gregory Corso, Kenneth Rexroth, and Robert Duncan. These were all poets who came about after WW2 and people who inspired and lead the San Francisco Renaissance. All these artists sought to bring attention to political affairs and to inspire people to speak out on their beliefs and not be a “conscientious non-objector” as Ferlinghetti called them. They were seen as rebellious and non-conformists, which is where the “angelheaded hipsters” come in. They seeked out to be intellectuals in every sense of the word. They wanted to be well informed about the world around them, and wanted to be able to speak on everything around them that was unfair or wrong. They did this by sharing ideas, writing to bring attention to them/the movement, participating in protests, and even experimenting with things such as LSD. Which is where the “looking for an angry fix” and “burning for the heavenly connection to the starry dynamo..” come into play. These men were driven crazy with the idea and want for change. They believed so wholeheartedly in what they do that they almost became considered mad because all of their time and energy was invested into this movement. Their old selves were destroyed by the madness of hope and knowledge that there was a better way to live.
No comments:
Post a Comment