Allen Ginsberg was one of the leading poets of the 1950's and 60's Beat Generation. As a child of Jewish progressives from the East Coast, he was inspired by Walt Whitman and Edgar Allen Poe. He moved out to San Francisco in the 1950's after his time at Columbia University. When he published his radical poem, "Howl," it was banned, and Ginsberg found himself involved in one of the 20th century's biggest censorship trials."Howl" later became one of the most widely read poems of the times. Ginsberg also participated in many social movements, including anti-war protests and gay rights.
"Allen Ginsberg." - Poets.org. The Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 20 May 2013.
Read the poem, "Howl," by clicking on the link:
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/179381
If you want, you can listen to Ginsberg while you read along:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p_kKhRmRkM
When you are done, post your impressions. Please state your name and period at the end of your post.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think that Ginsberg is trying to portray the actual actions of real people. In the poem, he describes actions such as smoking, doing drugs, and having sex that would usually not be written about in this sort of manner during this time. The words he uses are not exactly “proper” in the sense that he uses curse words. I find this interesting because it adds to the effect that this is a real poem about real people. Lots of people use foul language in the real world, but sometimes it does not seem acceptable to use that type of language in literature. Ginsberg seems to have no problem with it, as he uses it quite often in this poem. I think that he’s describing how the world really works, and how things don’t always look so perfect one you see the details. His writing is beautiful, but if you really analyze each line or verse, you can see how dark his writing can get despite the way it is written. He talks about people committing suicide, and how we’re all writers “on the same dreadful typewriter,” which is a metaphor for earth, I think. Like how Shakespeare says all the world is a stage, Ginsberg’s dreadful typewriter is the world and society, and everybody has something to say, but society can still suck and bring you down. So along with describing real people and their actions, I think he is critiquing society because the tone is as if he’s saying that doing all these things are seen as bad or immoral even though that type of interpretation is up to each person. Drinking alcohol or having sex isn't necessarily a totally bad thing, well, at least to me it isn't. I just think that it depends on the situation. To have sex or drink doesn't make you a bad person right off the bat, but I think that's what Ginsberg is trying to say- that society will judge you right off the bat based on the bad things that you do. It's like when people only notice and remember the bad things that happened, or the controversial. Nobody remembers all the good. I guess it's in a lot of people's nature to just dwell on the bad, or maybe that's how they think it is fit to judge a person. So in a sense, I see Ginsberg is sort of critiquing how easily a person is judged by only a single side of them. People are super complex- no one is "the alcoholic," or "the angel" or "the smoker." You can't just label someone by one thing, people just aren't like that and nobody has one simple side to them.
ReplyDeleteRebekah Dimaandal, Period 3
In all honesty, I can see why this poem was banned. It tells of a society, a broken society. It's not a fable or legend because this is what goes on in our society right now. Ginsberg is trying to bring the realization of our society to light. Yeah, we don't see these acts everywhere, but it what Ginsberg says really does happen in our society. It's ridiculous. Nobody has the courage to speak the truth, but Ginsberg does it in this long, stretched out poem.
ReplyDeleteI believe it was banned because nobody wants to admit that our society is broken and weak like in this poem, but it’s fact that our society is broken.
Marcos Hernandez
Period 2
I feel like “Howl” really captures the struggle of society versus the individual. To a certain extent, to succeed in society you have to be able to conform and blend. It’s just the way our society is set up. When you’re born with a mind that works differently than most other people’s, you’ll be fighting society you’re entire life. It takes a very strong person, almost impossibly strong, to maintain this sense of individuality when the world is against it and thinks you’re wrong. Even Tupac admitted that his thought pattern was so unusual that “[he] would have to change the world or [he] would have to be changed by the world”. I think Howl really captures how sad it is to see people originality disintegrate and see the “best minds of [his] generation destroyed by madness”. I think the poem was banned because it sheds an unflattering light on how broken and flawed our society it, and how it can destroy people who don’t or can’t conform to it. It's poems like this, that ignite anger and a sense of injustice in people, that begin revolutions and form revolutionary leaders.
ReplyDeleteCourtney H.
Period 4
I believe that Ginsberg has a deep, negative impression of society. Conformity destroys the creativity of the mind. During these times, rebelling to society was considered Satanic. To make an unbelievably long poem condemning those against the Beat Movement is very brave. Every person that Ginsberg mentions adds to his animosity. I believe he is a great individual for speaking out and letting others know of their own actions.
ReplyDeleteDan To
Period 3
I didn’t really want to read it. I’m sorry. I skimmed through it. I see words of negativity and things that majority of people wouldn’t want to see which is probably why it was banned. Usually things like this stick out to me, but not this. I don’t know why the 2D world appeals so much more to me than things in real life. I think it’s because since I know it has a definite ending. It’s easier to accept the characters who think so negatively because they were relevant to the story. People in real life can still change, but they can be so stubborn and crazy about it. I don’t think I’d like to deal with them. I don’t know. I feel like I’m really nonchalant about a lot of things. I can be, but I have to pretend because I don’t want people to think I don’t care in a sense... I’m saying I understand the situation and all, but I guess I can cope with it easier than most people can. I’m the type of person who just says, “move on and continue to live your communal lifestyle.” There’s a lot to live for. It’s okay to think negatively about the world as it is. Humans are not perfect. There are no perfect human beings. Ever. That’s why we live in such an imperfect world, but that’s completely fine, right? I believe so. Even though not all things will be able to be experienced, there’s still a life to live. There are still a lot of things to be experienced... Sorry. That went way off. What I’m saying is that I could care less about what this person has to say at the moment. It’s not really shining like my suicidal/cannibalism documentaries or murder mystery stories. Maybe that’s why. I want an actual full story... not just thoughts of this type of person for the moment. I really would like some fresh pounded sweet mochi. Ice cream mochi. I want to try to pound mochi. Man, I’m hungry.
ReplyDeleteSorry. Haha.
tl;dr
I didn’t like it and it wasn’t interesting.
Nicole Alfonso Period 3
First, I think that this poem is one where you would have to read every line carefully to understand the meaning behind them, but you wouldn't want to because there is just so much negativity throughout the whole poem. It tells of how a person with so much talent has gone to waste, from all the drugs and misfortune that comes their way. Shows how not everything is so happy go lucky in reality and how reality is viewed from one that has seen the unfortunate side of reality, the sad side. It would not be pretty to live the way Allen Ginsberg writes in the poem, because if I had to live in such a world, I think I would go through a mental breakdown or go through major depression.
ReplyDeleteEven though I said all that, I can sort of relate. I feel that there is a sense of loss, like how one would feel when they lose a family member. It sort of feels like he feels like all the people that he once knew, were people he felt like was family to him. I couldn't really understand the second half, but I feel like he is talking about something big, like the economy or the society? I don't really know, but that is my interpretation of what Moloch is. As I read this part, I feel like he is calling out this Moloch. Since I don't know what Moloch is, I'm going to look into that part a bit more.
Lastly, the third part. The third part seems like a dream or a distant memory to me. He talks about this man named Carl Solomon and him being together in Rockland. I looked into Rockland with Allen Ginsberg's name in the search and found that it is a psychiatric hospital. I didn't really look much into the search as I didn't want it to affect my interpretation of what I felt this part meant. As I was saying, I feel like the third part is like a dream. I say a dream because it seems like he is dreaming of this happening to him and this person named Carl, but it won't happen as it is all his thoughts.
I would like to say that it was tough reading this poem not just because it was hard to read, but also because of the negativity in it. I can sort of guess why it was banned. It was something people did not want to accept back then since it would affect the way people would think, probably causing some issues if it were not banned. Allen is a brave person to have written this poem, because it isn't something everyone would accept. When most people think of poems, they think of love and all that nice stuff, not all the truth(?) of what life is like for some. I don't know what this poem is really trying to say, but I hope my interpretation is somewhat close.
Diana Xu Period 4
While listening to this, it was kind of depressing. The words he use to describe society sounds so bitter. It seems like to him, the society is broken and everything that comes with society is bad. For me, it makes it seem like he doesn't agree with the sex and drug lifestyle. I understand why it was banned; it sounds as if he's trying to run down the system altogether. It honestly sound like he's a communist or has a communist mindset.
ReplyDeleteI didn't really like the poem, it was kind of confusing.
I have a hard time understanding this poem it's to complex. What I think Gingberg is trying to explain every action that each different person does. Noticing we all have our differances but the only similarity is that we all have our mistakes and suffer at one point. However I know this poem has deeper meaning to that, because with some much words it has and the way this poet describes things sporacally. I also notice he talks mostly about the people who are living the life of struggle and human action that many critic as being something inferior. Basically this man seems to be so mad about soceity's conservative traditon trying to stop indivivdual free will . Nobody is a perfect person we just do things because we are human there is no perfection. You can't manipulate anybody because it's jus t a natural things in things we just do in how we life.
ReplyDeleteDylan Sanchez
Period: 3
When I listened to the poem “Howl,” by Allen Ginsberg I felt confused, shocked, and enlightened. This poem seemed to be very free flowing and it jumped around a bit. The way Allen Ginsberg depicted people was a bit unnerving. His words made it seem like society was lost and had no hope. It made me think how can we call ourselves a society if we aren’t going to practice being civilized. As I reflected I thought it’s true our world is messed up, and it’s true there are some individuals who choose to do the wrong things. But I don’t blame them. It’s the world we’re forced to live in that drives us mad. We idolize athletes and actors. Children are just forced into classes and are seen as a statistic. I think Ginsberg was trying to express that a change is needed if we’re going to advance as a civilization. If we aren’t progressing then we’re simply going backwards.
ReplyDeleteERIC NGUYEN P.4
When i listened to the poem i felt confused i didn't really understand what was going on i think it might of been him jumping around everywhere instead of keeping things at a steady pace. I did get a grip of what he was trying to explain/talk about he was saying our this world is messed up and how the human struggle in life. When you struggle you tend to do dumb/bad things without thinking twice because you're desprate which i find very depressing. People with a strong mind set won't ever have to face this problem , but not everybody has a strong mind set to do the right thing and that's why this world is in chaos like he says it is in the poem.Change is hard when something has become a habit.
ReplyDeleteAs I read the poem "Howl", by Allen Ginsberg I tried to understand his complex definition and interpretation of our society. It seems a though Ginsberg is not happy with the world we live in today and that many changes should be done. I understand why this poem was banned for a while, because the way he describes our society and how people are, are very graphic. Ginsberg does not want to fit in, but I think you can't always be against the system, because although a few people succeed in what they are trying to accomplish many fail. Our system of society has been formed and reformed throughout time, I think that most things about make sense and thats it's just the people that challenge it and make it difficult. It is not always a bad thing to be a conformist if you agree with the way things are.
ReplyDeleteMariela Alvarez period 4
This poem is quite depressing to me as it heavily focuses on the darker side of society. Ginsberg refers to social outcasts such as drug users, radicals, the poor, psychopaths, and broken artists. He made many religious and literary references that I actually do not get. Ginsberg was quite graphic when describing the details of sexual acts and used a lot of imagery to give a feel of ostracization, judgment, and despair. I think Ginsberg was trying to show how the era at the time oppressed these outcasts and ruined many with the first line, “the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked,”. I think society today, albeit quite different, is still very much the same. America, quite ironically, is oversexed yet sexually repressive at the same time. People would probably call me crazy for saying that, but if you put aside the oversexualize and glorified world of pop culture and mass media then there is some truth behind my statement. Just in a smaller bubble, for example: high school. I’m not even saying this based on assumptions, I have seen a sexually active female getting more negative responses and even slut-shaming as opposed to a sexually active male. It’s almost as if it’s wrong for a teenage girl to enjoy sex and that it makes her less of a person whilst perfectly normal and healthy for a teenage guy. I’m pretty sure this is what you would call double standards. Sorry about going a bit off-topic. Back to Ginsberg, he talked about artists such as jazz musicians and painters and how they are also outcasts of society. This makes me quite sad as art is a big part of who I am. The system we are in stresses the importance of careers in math and science (doctors, engineers, pharmaceuticals, biochemists, and I could go on...) and how their innovations advances technology and the world. Yes, I agree they are important, but more creative-oriented career choices such as being a graphic designer or filmmaker and musician (not a pop star) are often looked at as trivial and not exactly needed or unimportant. Hopefully I’m wrong and that this is just because of where I come from. If I ever tell my family that I want to become an artist, I’d probably get very little support. But seeing as how there are an ocean of talented yet unnoticed artists in the world, I think that to become successful nowadays in that field is nearly impossible anyhow.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first read the poem "Howl", by Allen Ginsberg, I was a little confused as at first, as the poem seemed a bit unorganized. After analyzing the song a bit more, I found the poem to be a little depressing. The first few lines of the poem talks about how the speaker was a witness to the destruction of the "best minds" of this generation. The speaker then says the best minds of society are not the doctors, lawyers, or scientists, but instead are the drug users, dropouts, musicians, and poets. I can see how this poem became banned as I can see verses such as those becoming controversial. This poem gives me an impression that Ginsberg believes that society is making this planet a worse place, and I can see where he is coming from. Most people conform to society and that disallows people to display their true talents and abilities as they are afraid of the outcome. "Howl" was certainly not an easy poem to read, but it was definitely interesting as it made me think about society and who exactly has the "best minds" in this generation
ReplyDeleteChris Vu
Period 4
I think this poem is all about free expression , it captures what people go through and what they feel.From what I was able to understand , many people are lost souls looking for some type of understanding and comfort . Many walk with a burden or a hidden struggle mostly because society is conforming. We are expected to live a certain way and it definitely shouldn't be that way. Allen was able to write something people could relate to ,especially for those who cannot speak about their problems because they fear judgement.I value his work because he wasn't afraid to speak out on real life experiences that were a taboo to talk about during the 1950s. He spoke out on what many others feared to talk about , drugs, sex, homosexuality,insanity and the pain society can cause a person. I think its important we write about our experiences we face in life , it can be comforting to know others feel and go through similar things. Being able to feel,understand and accept is what has brought us together as a people.
ReplyDeleteEvaliz Rosales
Period 4
When I read the poem, "Howl", by Allen Ginsberg, I didn't really understand anything at all because I felt like he was jumping around all over the place. Despite how long the poem is, what sticks out from this poem are is the dark and ominous tone that is in it. As I read more carefully through the poem, it took me a while to realize that the whole time that Allen was describing the way how people, who are so influenced by society, disgusts him. Ginsberg uses words that are interpretive, dark and vulgar throughout this poem and it seems like that he really isn't afraid to describe his true opinion of how corrupt people are when they are conformed to society. In each line, Ginsberg describes the many typical things that people who are locked in with mainstream do and shows and adds his expression of how each of those things are horrible to him. This poem strongly shows how much Ginsberg was against mainstream and how much he supported counterculture.
ReplyDeleteBrianne Dela Cruz
Period 4
This poem is confusing as well as eye opening. Each line has so many interpertations to it and underlying messages. It anaylzes what civilaztion is today and what it does to people. The change in the way society works and operates is phenomnal. Lines that were drawn long ago for respect have now been erased and never redrawn. No body has same, and everything is online. No body wants to talk in person but rather through text. This is changing our language and how people interact with eachother. A face to face meeting is so rare now that everything seems "awkward". This causes people to avoid face to face interactions even more in my eyes. I think the lines need to be redrawn, we need to regain our dignity as a country and rebuild or personal skills.
ReplyDeleteI think that Ginsberg wanted to describe reality as vividly as possible in “Howl” by writing about the things that nobody else would. Everyone in the 1950’s probably lived some of what he describes, but Ginsberg was the only one with enough courage to write about what he saw. His poem was banned for mentioning very touchy subjects and using vulgarity, and in this time people did not see that as a right. Ginsberg, however, had no problem with expressing his views on the internal battle between the individual and society. The way the poem was written made it a little hard to understand but it gives off a dejected feeling; I think Ginsberg was probably not happy with society in his time. He wasn't just writing things as he saw them but was also writing the faults he noticed were beginning to appear.
ReplyDeleteOrizema Cruz, Period 4
After I read the poem "Howl", by Allen Ginsberg, I was sort of confused by the way Ginsberg was describing today’s hardships. The poem was a bit unorganized at first, but later sort of all fell into place. Ginsberg used descriptive language to talk about the flaws within the society. The random words that were put into each sentence got me distracted while reading the poem. Ginsberg would talk about one subject, then totally change his train of thought. Ginsberg made it seem that it was nearly impossible to fix the problems that were happening in the world. He also had a negative attitude towards people he believes is following the system which he despises. I think Ginsberg just wants a world full of free-thinkers to allow society to become more diverse.
ReplyDeleteDeanne Juson
Period 3
The way that "Howl" is written can be confusing, but the general idea of it is important. It can come off as extremely dark, but at the same time it can have a deeper message. The poem is very long due to the fact that he drags on his thoughts throughout the poem. This can be good because it means he doesn't digress from the topic at hand in his writing. I wish I could understand the message completely, but the references made and the words used make it difficult to fully and easily understand. Through all this, you can still get an idea for the message of his poem even if you don't understand all of what he is saying. He has a very negative outlook on society, as he proclaims, "I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness," and goes on to support this point with an abundance of examples. His general negativity towards society through the use of extremely dark poetry helps justify and clarify why "Howl" was banned.
ReplyDeleteDeion Lagman
Period 3
Most poems in our society require some sort poetic theme or free verse, but don't ever bring in the reality of the world at least not in a vulgar way like Allen Ginsberg's poem Howl. I can tell by the tone of Allen's voice as well as the first line of his poem "I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness" that he is somewhat dissapointed with society and what it has turned into. He decides to take a new approach to discussing the issues with society in a vulgar, free verse kind of way by the way he writes "who let themselves be fucked in the ass by saintly motorcyclists." I can understand if something is beyond out of the ordinary why they would band it. I can also tell by the way its written that Allen really cared about this subject, but is only trying to bring out the truth that everyone is scared to discuss, which makes this poem unique.
ReplyDeleteAmber Pena
Period 4
From what I understand, it seems like Allen Ginsberg is suggesting that we do whatever we want wherever we want. Also, to not let anyone get in the way of your dreams. When Ginsberg mentions the word, "naked" I imagine that people are doing things that they want to do with nothing or without any needed help. Everyone that had a good mind, were destroyed by too much drama, of due to drugs. When people start to get mentally destroyed, they turn toward drugs or alcohol. The reason why people turn to drugs or alcohol, is because that they need to forget their problems and so they can take pleasure in while they are in they're depressions.
ReplyDeleteChris Jao
Period 4
After reading "Howl", I felt saddened by how Ginsberg viewed the American society. I was confused at first because I didn't understand the real idea of the poem. He starts off talking about people of his generation and repeats "who" with a description throughout the poem. The thing throws me off the most is how he talks about random things in part one. I feel like Ginsberg was free writing his thoughts and jotting these thoughts that came to mind down. At some points of the poem, I can see how much he does not like the society he lived in because of how all the fake people acted. I believe Ginsberg just wanted everyone to be original and different rather than being mainstream.
ReplyDeleteJeff Dumag
Period 4
At the beginning of the poem, I was very confused and lost because I had no idea what Ginsberg was talking about. I had to pause the audio a few times and just read a few lines over and over again until I somewhat understood what it meant. Even though I was very confused at what Ginsberg was saying, I still had this feeling like every word he said was important and had a deeper meaning. I just have to figure out what it all meant. The sound of his voice just puts more emphasis on the poem. It really just captures your attention and even though you have no idea what he’s saying, you can’t help but listen.. It is a very lengthy poem that talks about the flaws of society. It’s very descriptive poem that expresses his disappointment in society.
ReplyDeleteRochella Gutierrez
Period 3
After reading "Howl" by Allen Ginsberg, I was quite confused because it just didn't seem put together very well. Once I got past that I realized how deep and intense this poem is. It was really depressing, it put me in a weird state of mind. It was a different poem than what I'm used to hearing. This poem was very straightforward and interesting. It talked mostly about how messed up society was and how you were expected to be something that society wanted you to be not what you want to be.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the poem, I understand why the book was banned. During the 1950s, the government concealed a lot of reality from the citizens. Ginsberg, on the other hand, exposes the realities of the world. He talked about the racial issues that were going on, the downfall of the economy and how half the world is turning a blind eye to the people suffering in poverty. He talked about the sex craze during the period of time and used vulgar phrases such as, “who let themselves be fucked in the ass by saintly motorcyclists.” People during this time period never used that type of language, but by using that style of writing, reality hit hard. The government went through a phase where they sugarcoated everything for the audience watching. For example, during the Vietnam War, they hid the reality of the suffering soldiers from the family waiting back home. However, when television exposed the real environment of war, the audience was astonished and the government went through what was called a credibility gap. The exposure of sex, drugs, and alcohol from Ginsberg was only an add on to what the government was trying to hide. Everyone likes to believe that the country they’re living in is the best, but Ginsberg revealed how broken and messed up it really was. He exposed the darker side of reality that everyone ignored.
ReplyDeleteVivian Nguyen
Period 4
This poem is very radical, it took me approximately 6-11 minutes to read the first verse, and that is tiring. Though honestly, this poem is very confusing in my view. Yes I understand that he is describing different aspects of a culture, some are very descriptive, but it’s just that I don’t really understand why. Never expect “perfect” because, from my point of view, a “perfect” is just what people believe them to be. As humans, we would like to aspire for more even though what we already have achieved is enough. It is difficult to make a society a utopia for everyone has a different view of “perfect”, and with an internal goal to make everyone conform to their own “perfect” is bound to have consequences. In conclusion, Ginsberg does make excellent descriptions about the negativity that is America, and one day, we may overcome that flaw.
ReplyDeleteJerome Manera
Period 3
After reading "Howl" for the first, even 2nd time i couldnt really make much of what Allen Ginsberg, was trying to portray. After reading it over and over it seems like he in every line just writes about what he really sees. Not what others think. the first line talks about how great minds get ruin because others think of them as mad for their time. and because others dont see the importance, the "greatminds" give up. The reason the poem was banned was that he wrote about things the government didnt want to bring attention to. the government was trying to turn a blind eye to the people that suffered from poverty. he seems to talk about sex, and im not sure if back than it was ok to use words we now see as "badwords" to add more power to what he is trying to say. he talked about everything that was wrong in society like sex,drugs, alcohol, and the gap in income. He question if the government was able to be trusted.
ReplyDeleteDrew Dao
Period 4
When I first looked at the poem and scrolled down, I was surprised at how lengthy it is. However, the length of the poem didn't affect my viewpoint in any manner, and I was interested in reading about the message that it evokes. In the beginning of the poem, he describes the "best minds" of his generation being "destroyed by madness." Surprisingly, though, these individuals that were described by Allen Ginsberg weren't the successful people, and they weren't even the middle-class individuals. They were those low ranked people in the societal hierarchy. Throughout part 1, he repeatedly emphasizes these people with the word, "who," while in part 2, he consistently uses the phrase "Moloch," which further explained the reasoning for those individuals. Moloch, in a sense, is all the "evil" aspects of society, including mainstream culture, governmental violence, oppression, domination, governmental power, and more that affects people. In a way, he thoroughly explains the negative parts in the world that many tend to ignore and push aside. Moloch, in a way, is a symbol to explain the social corruption and the cause for what he believes to be the destruction of the "best minds." It's difficult to fully realize what the government is truly like as it's concealing its true self, but if we as individuals scream and howl out like a wolf our beliefs, our viewpoint, and our concerns on the matter, we may be able to understand the reasoning behind the concealment and make a difference.
ReplyDeleteBrian Lien
DeletePeriod 4
When I first played the audio without knowing what it was going to say as I was not reading along, I was quite surprised by what I was listening to because I was hearing so much straight-forward words such as "cock and endless balls." It's just something I didn't expect from a poem. Because of this, I was quite intrigued and became a little more interested in trying to understand this poem better and hopefully figure out as to why Ginsberg wrote his poem, "Howl," the way he did. Unfortunately, I had to keep repeating the audio as I just was not understanding the concept. Fortunately, I was not the only one. All I heard throughout this poem is so much negativity and, in a way, it kind of made me realize that this just might be reality. And that's just it. I feel like many people don't understand this poem because it's so raw and it's things that probably have happened or can happen but many people just look down upon it. It's reality.
ReplyDeleteYeda Marie Donato
Period 4
Allen Ginsberg had a phenomenal understanding of the societal influence young people and old alike were facing during the 1950’s and 60’s. The poem “Howl” is Ginsbergs way of expressing that everyone is different and society makes us think that that is bad. But at the end of his poem he says holy, holy. holy, everything is holy. By this he means that even through our differences we are all good. We all have a reason to be here and our reasons are very different.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of this poem I did not quite understand where Allen was going with his poem. But I realized that he was describing us. We are all different and society has placed labels upon us. Society makes us think that we need to act a certain way. But in the end, no matter what, we will all still be different. Being different is okay. Being different makes you holy, according to Ginsberg.
Some of the language Ginsberg uses and the scenes he describes are extremely provocative and not very censored at all. Some of the people he described can be found offensive to some. I can completely understand why this poem was banned but I feel that this poem really describes the pressure placed upon us by society. We should be thankful that we are different and embrace our uniqueness.
Asia Cruz
Period 4
This poem was really confusing for me to understand. It talks about many things that don't correlate with each other at all. I did manage to interpret some of this poem though. It talks about generations of people that are blinded by madness and anger. It also talks about people who really don't care much about anything because they burn their money in wastebaskets and also smoke marijuana. This poem is sort of amusing to me because it talks a lot about inappropriate things and also has some profanity. I'm skimming through this poem right now and I am still very confused because I have no idea what he is trying to say. His verses are really random and it makes me think that he wrote this poem when he was drunk or something. He also talks about how people are protesting Capitalism by burning cigarette holes in their arms. He talks about communism being promoted in Union Square. Is Allen Ginsberg communist? Ginsberg then writes about people scattering their semen everywhere. I found that part in the poem very funny because it seems that Ginsberg has a sense of humor and he doesn't care about what people think of him. I also think that that is what he is trying to tell his readers. I think Ginsberg is trying to tell his readers to live their lives to the fullest and not care about what anybody thinks of them. He also writes about people cutting their wrists unsuccessfully. Ginsberg is trying to tell his readers to not be so hard on themselves and just be happy in life and do the things that make you happy.
ReplyDeleteIt's very interesting how Ginsberg uses his words. He's a very confusing writer which is good and bad. The good part of it is that reading his writing makes you have to interpret what he's trying to say. The bad part about it is that people may be way off on his true message of his writing. When Ginsberg writes he thoroughly explains every little thing he is talking about. He may define a word in many different ways, as long as his point gets through. Also during this poem Ginsberg has a sad or depressed tone. It seems like something about our world is bothering him, and he is letting it all out through his poetry. He constantly uses repetition to show the reader that something needs to be addressed.
ReplyDeleteBrandon Redic
Period 3
About two minutes into following along with the speaker, I realized that I had no idea what the poem was about. It confused me, and I could hardly understand what the writer was saying. Although it was confusing and dragged on, the dark, morbid, and hostile tone provided a clear message of the writer's intention. I could not fully grasp the entire message of every given example, but I could tell that the writer was writing with very negative outlook on society. He critiques his generation through a variety of examples and references and I think that is what confuses me the most. Even though it was difficult to understand, I enjoyed the tone and I enjoyed his explicit style of writing.
ReplyDeleteMercedez Lam
Period 4
I'm not good with poems, especially the ones that are long because I just kinda sit there and think hard to analyze it as much as possible. After reading many lines of "Howl", I was still confused. What I got from the poem is that Allen Ginsberg mainly talks about social outcasts/losers. His swearing in the poem was used to express his anger, though the government didn't approve at that time and banned the poem. He's pointing out the flaws and his frustrations with society. I think he has a sense of giving up on society. He has given up on everyone who follows the system of life, he doesn't believe the flaws and problems of this society/world can be fixed. However, he idealizes that the world should be filled with free thinkers.
ReplyDeleteI read the poem first and was confused for the most part until I listened to the audio. Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl” was depressing yet fascinating for me. It made me think about how conformity has really impacted me and influence me to try to find my own individuality. Because of conformity, there are expectations and I think the fact that I don’t want to meet those standard had made me into a more rebellious person.
ReplyDeleteAnna Vu
period 4
While reading and listening to this poem, I didn’t understand what Ginsberg was trying to prove and the type of poem was completely different than I expected. Eventually, I realized that Ginsberg was trying to describe the generation and points out the flaws of the society. Most people that are involved with the issues are unsuccessful. He talked about issues such as sex, drugs and racism. He expresses his anger about the society with inappropriate words. Overall, I think that Ginsberg wants everyone in the society to be unique and different from each other.
ReplyDeleteNicho Dawi
Period 4
I think what Allen Ginsberg is trying to come across is the fact that his generation filled with great minds and potential, was ruined by bad influences such as drugs, sex and wrong decisions. While I was reading the first verses, I couldn't really understand what Ginsberg was trying to say. I had to reread several of the verses in order for me to understand what he feels about American society. I also feel like he was somewhat shocked and disappointed with how his generation turned out to be.
ReplyDeleteAlyssa Inanoria
Period 4
I found the poem to be very deep and it had a lot of emotion. The talk about how people were treated and the wording used to describe the issues were very impacting. I also found it to be sad to hear how what happened to the people around him impacted him. It was sad to hear all the hardships that were happening around them. I did like the part that talked about them never giving up until they reached freedom.
ReplyDeleteSamuel Helton
Period 3
From what I read, Allen Ginsberg felt like he had a negative attitude towards society. He said that society would destroy each other emotionally, and that is what Howl is about. My impressions were that the poem was sad, because of all the depressing ways he stated on the minds of others. Many of them were living in sad ways, such as drug users and drop outs. I find this sad how some people could end up this way. He just seemed very disappointed in people, and looks down on his society.
ReplyDeleteDean Obsuna
Period 3
In the first section of Howl, Allen Ginsberg talks about the destruction of his generation. Ginsberg describes people who do drugs, have sex, drop outs, homeless people, and more. I think Ginsberg is trying to tell us in the poem that the greatest people of his generation are drug users, drop outs, etc. His view of society is very different from others. Most people view the greatest minds as scientists, presidents, war heros, etc. I think his view is very interesting because it talks about the outcasts of society. I think Ginsberg is trying to say that no matter who you are or what you do, you should still be yourself.
ReplyDeleteHannah De La Cruz
Period 4
In Allen Ginsberg's poem "Howl", he shows how his generation is looked down upon because of all the drugs and other distractions they have. He covers how his generation has a very distorted relationship with society. A lot of the people became homeless, drop outs, and became involved with drugs. They say he named it "Howl" because he wanted to express his frustration and inner feelings towards society and the way his generation is treated. There were a lot of artists during his time and they were not allowed to express themselves too much because everyone else in society expected them to conform to change their ways.The way that Ginsberg was able to create a picture in my head with his words is very inspiring because that is art at its truest form. The form of expression. You can see the frustration and negative feelings he has towards the other people through his poem. I also think that it was a good thing this poem was banned because it was able to receive way more attention then if it wasn't banned.
ReplyDeleteHowl give the impression of a very disorganized and rambly poem, Ginsberg writes about the “ best minds” of his generation's destruction, but he doesn't tell us why or what destroyed them. WIth the progression of the poem we realize that the best minds aren't lawyers or scientists or movie stars but they aren't regular middle class people either. They are people who would be perceived as dropouts, drug users, and social degenerates.
ReplyDeleteDexter Fan
Period 3
The poem "Howl" by Allen Ginsberg can leave many readers confused but although it may be complex, it talks about the reality of a corrupt society and his generation slowly dying. There are parts in the poem where it might have seemed out of pocket, but to a few people it is an understanding of reality.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAllen Ginsberg perceives society and this generation in a complex, yet interesting way. He reveals truths of that era that were seen as absurd. He expresses the world as negative, though giving truth to most of his words. I personally did not enjoy reading it so much. I thought of it as too lengthy, making me lose interest in the entire poem. His structure and vocabulary confused me and I wasn't able to fully interpret his poem in a way that it was meant to be interpreted. What I do realize though, is why this poem was banned. At this time, racy topics were always masked with lies. I feel that Allen Ginsberg is a very bold, strong-minded intellect who successfully uncovered some truth in the world.
ReplyDeleteThis poem could've been interpreted differently according to the reader due to its high vocabulary and dark tone. I found this poem to be very, I would say informative in a sense. This poem told of issues and problems in that time's society that other people would be to afraid to discuss or even acknowledge. I don't really know if the issues told in this poem still exist today, most likely they do, and that could be a possible reason why it was banned. However, his "strength" in being able to bring these problems to light is a good things since now some discussion in resolving these issues can begin.
ReplyDeleteAnthony Canedo
per 4
In his poem “Howl,” Allen Ginsberg speaks of what is wrong with society. He talks about a society in which “The best minds were destroyed by madness.” When he speaks of the “best minds” he is not referring to lawyers, doctors, entrepreneurs, etc. Instead, he is referring to drug addicts, prostitutes, homeless people, criminals, etc. These are people that most would say are a plague to society and are the reason that we do not have a perfect world. However, from Ginsberg’s perspective, these are people that have very high potential but have been corrupted by society. I understand where Ginsberg is coming from. These people are often times those that don’t fit into the system and end up becoming criminals, beggars, prostitutes, etc. in order to survive. I think that various societal pressures are what lead to the their downfall. Then, instead of trying to help them, we kick them while they are down. Through this, Ginsberg says that we cannot have a perfect society.
ReplyDeleteHarpreet Singh
Period 4
Absent on 5/20/2013
Howl Blog
ReplyDeleteAllen Ginsberg seems to display all the “bad” factors of society. He starts the poem off by saying that he “saw the best minds of [his] generation destroyed by madness.” After reading his poem, I feel as if madness in society is all the drugs, corruption, and poverty present. His views are probably also similar. He uses a very pessimistic perception of society in his poem. He might believe that society really has no future because it is in the present it is extremely harmful for its inhabitants. Capitalism and poverty are also mentioned in his poem. This in a way is another example of society being harmful to its people. Capitalism makes everyone almost cut throat and wanting only the best for themselves. However, since it is not possible for everyone to have everything they desire, some unfortunate people end up with a lot less than another. It is interesting how although two equal individuals may have the exact same ambitions and goals, yet they can end up in totally different positions. Some may think that factors that we can not control like luck and fate are involved. Others may blame the structure of today’s society to be unfair. He also mentions institutions like religion and prison. While reading this poem, I felt like it was quite clear that he had a pessimistic view of the world, but the direction of his poem was unclear. For a large part of the poem, it was as if he was just listing everything he has experienced that is wrong around him. Many different people with different perspectives can probably relate to this poem in one way or another, since there are so many different aspects of society that are mentioned.
Harpreet Mahi
Period 04
Absent on Monday, 5/20