Explication Of Allen Ginsberg Howl
Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" (2540-2547) explores American culture and presents the issues that creative minds, "the best minds" (line 1) of his generation face in a traditional conforming society. "Howl combined apocalyptic criticism of the dull, prosperous Eisenhower years with the exuberant celebration of an emerging counterculture." (2538). Ginsberg's repetition serves as both stability and disruption as it takes the reader from thought to thought in the eccentric form of this poem.
"who cut their wrists three times successively unsuccessfully, gave up and/ were forced to open antique stores where they thought they were/ growing old and cried," (53-55) Perfectly captures the conflict of conformity for this period.
"where we are great
writers on the same dreadful typewriter" (2546).
Li-Young Lee also fits under these qualifications. "Persimmon" (2798-2799) offers us the conflicts between language, he is unable to conform to English and gets in trouble for it yet uses Chinese, which he is slowly forgetting, to woo a girl. The "I've forgotten" (23) also present us with the conflict between him as an American and his Chinese roots. The persimmon is a constant focus of the story. It represents the traditions of the past and the opportunities of the future that this is further displayed by the disruption that the juxtaposition of the sweet and glowing of the first half of the poem and the dark and muddled atmosphere of the second half present.
"My mother said every persimmon has a sun/ inside, something golden, glowing,/warm as my face."(46-48).
"This year in the muddy lighting/ of my parents' cellar, I rummage, looking/ for something I lost./My father sits on the tired, wooden stairs," (61-64).
"who cut their wrists three times successively unsuccessfully, gave up and/ were forced to open antique stores where they thought they were/ growing old and cried," (53-55) Perfectly captures the conflict of conformity for this period.
"where we are great
writers on the same dreadful typewriter" (2546).
Li-Young Lee also fits under these qualifications. "Persimmon" (2798-2799) offers us the conflicts between language, he is unable to conform to English and gets in trouble for it yet uses Chinese, which he is slowly forgetting, to woo a girl. The "I've forgotten" (23) also present us with the conflict between him as an American and his Chinese roots. The persimmon is a constant focus of the story. It represents the traditions of the past and the opportunities of the future that this is further displayed by the disruption that the juxtaposition of the sweet and glowing of the first half of the poem and the dark and muddled atmosphere of the second half present.
"My mother said every persimmon has a sun/ inside, something golden, glowing,/warm as my face."(46-48).
"This year in the muddy lighting/ of my parents' cellar, I rummage, looking/ for something I lost./My father sits on the tired, wooden stairs," (61-64).