To Aunt Rose

“Howl” by Allen Ginsberg (1956)

Lauded as one of the greatest achievements in American verse, Ginsberg’s most influential poem is a powerful exploration of culture, the mind, and society. The poem relies on Ginsberg and Kerouac’s first thought/best thought spontaneous style. The first section of the poem focuses on the exploits of Ginsberg and his friends, but it presents image after image of people who are lost and who have been battered by society. The second section places blame for all of the societal and psychological problems Ginsberg identified in the first part of the poem. Ginsberg blames Molach, a demon, for the problems, and he identifies many social forces influenced by Moloch, including capitalism. The final section narrates a journey to a friend, Carl Solomon. This section explores the psychological effects of the first two stanzas and shows the brotherhood between Ginsberg and Solomon. The poem is long, complicated, and full of allusions to personal and public things, but regardless of its difficulty, its passion is tangible. It is also a perfect example of Ginsberg’s poetic style with its long lines, fragmented narrative, explicitness, and sporadic associations.

“Kaddish” by Allen Ginsberg (1961)

Ginsberg’s other epic masterpiece, this poem focuses much more on personal imagery and themes than “Howl.” The poem is mainly about Ginsberg’s mother, and the title refers to a Jewish prayer that can be used for mourning. Ginsberg wrote the poem after his mother’s death, and like “Howl,” it is a great example of his poetic style. The poem is raw, fragmented, and explicit. Additionally, the poem utilizes a lot of Jewish imagery, which is interesting considering Ginsberg had distanced himself considerably from Judaisim by the time he wrote this.

“America” by Allen Ginsberg (1956)

Perhaps Ginsberg’s most overtly political poem, this stream of consciousness poem combines many elements that Ginsberg used in all of his poetry. He criticizes America for its Cold War policy, 1950s culture, materialism, and hypocrisy. He also brings in elements of his childhood and life, and he discusses how America influenced those things and who he has become. The poem’s most famous line comes at the end when Ginsberg modifies the aphorism “put your shoulder to the wheel” by adding the word ‘queer’ before ‘shoulder.’ The poem is explicit, loud, and uncompromising.