Ginsberg Howl Analysis
With the Professor Poets being among the first to notice the range of allusions to classical literature writers expected to notice, was not widespread after World War II. With most new readers being more accustomed and fond of comics and newspapers, classical, Latin and Biblical Greek were set aside. Having this occur, poets changed and made adjustments to grab the attention of their readers by changing their address with allusions made in their work of literature by choosing to associate it with texts more familiar to their audience. The texts used for allusions by the Professor Poets, were from the Bible as well as Edith Hamilton’s Mythology. Of these two sources, the Bible was more important in understanding the texts from Weeks 5 and 6
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although Greek mythological references were used as well.
The Bible is a collection of books or texts that is cherished by Christians and Jews as a means of guidance and religious compose on how they must live their lives. King James, whom initiated the writing of the Book found it to be something that should be of universal teaching and understanding. Edith Hamilton’s Mythology on the other hand, is a book written by Edith Hamilton built on classical lore and legends of Greek, Roman, and Norse myths as appearing as poetry rather than as folklore. This isn’t as prevalent in needing to understand in the past two weeks of poems read as references of religious figures from the Bible considering if not most, many readers know a great amount of mythology.
Allen Ginsberg, a poet and activist of the 1950s and on, is most famous for his revolutionary poem "Howl", which used references of Jesus in the vulgar piece.
Although this lengthy poem was not one of a God fearing man, Ginsberg knew the Bible well enough to place references into “Howl”. Ginsberg writes, “who retired to Mexico to cultivate a habit, or Rocky Mount to tender Buddha or Tangiers to boys or Southern Pacific to the black locomotive or Harvard to Narcissus to Woodlawn to the daisychain or grave” (1360). Without having an understanding of the Bible, a reader may not understand that Woodlawn is the ancient place in Judea where Jesus Christ is believed to be where he had been crucified. Without an understanding of this, the reader or readers would not understand the image, nor the allusion in which Ginsberg was delivering in …show more content…
“Howl”.
“Howl” has multiple examples to deliver allusions to the reader past the crucifixion of Jesus that the Bible should be used for to get a better understanding if they are not already familiar with the books contained by it. Within the poem written, “who dreamt and made incarnate gaps in Time & Space through images juxtaposed, and trapped the archangel of the soul between 2 visual images and joined the elemental verbs and set the noun and dash of consciousness together jumping with sensation of Pater Omnipotens Aeterna Deus” (1361). Pater Omnipotens Aeterna Deus is Latin for Eternal Father God a phrase used by the French painter Paul Cezanne in a letter describing the effects of nature. Ginsberg uses this line as stupor of creation only to compare it to God.
Ginsberg lines of, “suffering of America's naked mind for love into an eli eli lamma lamma sabacthani saxophone cry that shivered,” displaied another allusion of Jesus crying out to God on the cross asking why he was forsaken (eli eli lamma lamma sabacthani).
These exact words found in the Bible in the book of Mark scripture 15:34, “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” Having a reader unfamiliar with the Bible, they may not understand Ginsberg reference yet again, considering it is of Hebrew language. With the understanding or translation of these Hebrew words, the reader can pull the text together gathering Ginsberg allusion more soundly.
Outside of Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl”, in Theodore Rothke’s “The Waking,” the narrator called out to God to guide him on his journey to wherever he may be going. In the third stanza, it reads:
Of those close beside me, which are
you?
God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there,
And learn by going where I have to go (1091).
The narrator in this poem is walking freely through his trivial life with only determination and purpose with God on his side. The book of Joshua 1:9 reads, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Also, in Jack Kerouacs, “Big Sur”, he uses allusions and vices of the Bible, which if a reader had an understanding of the Bible may gather a greater depiction of why he uses it. Kerouacs writes, “Macrocosms and microcosms and chillicosms and microbes and finally you got all these marvelous books a man aint even got time to read em all, what you gonna do in this already piled up multiple world when you have to think of the Book of songs, Faulkner, Cesar Birotteau, Shakespeare, Satyricons, Dantes, in fact long stories guys tell you in bars, in fact the sutras themselves, Sir Phillip Sidney, Sterne, Ibn El Arabi, the copious Lope de Vega luses and Davids… (1316).” Many of the people Kerouac list in this quote readers can identify who they are, unlike David, considering King isn’t in front of it. King David was the King of Israel was known for being a warrior who slayed Goliath as well as the writer of the books of Psalms in the Bible. Readers may read right over David’s name not entirely sure what allusion the writer was trying to make.
Although week 5 and 6 included many references to Greek mythology, biblical references were made as well. Considering Greek mythology is a topic usually covered in school, it is easier and more comfortable for a new reader to interpret the allusions a literature writer may disclose in their work if and when it is used. The Bible, on the other hand, is banned from being taught within schools which makes it tougher to interpret references for a reader when found in literature writer’s work. Also, because of the Bible being a means of teaching for Christians and Jews based on their religion, this will cause a deterrence in a reader who may not be of these religions or have a belief at all.
Without an understanding of the Bible, readers may find it difficult to understand the literary works of Allen Ginsberg, Theodore Rothke, and Jack Kerouacs with the allusions that are used in “Howl”, “The Waking”, and “Big Sur”. Millions may not follow the books of the Bible, which in turn will make it difficult to piece it with the literary work read over weeks 5 and 6. Edith Hamilton’s Mythology book has a lot that is covered in school unlike the Bible because of it being banned from being taught. Students learn about Greek and Roman myths making it easier to identify and understand in literature when acknowledged, whereas the Bible cannot. This is the reason as to why the Bible is more important and necessary to gather a better comprehension of the texts from Weeks 5 and 6 based upon the allusions the Professor Poets had used.
although Greek mythological references were used as well.
The Bible is a collection of books or texts that is cherished by Christians and Jews as a means of guidance and religious compose on how they must live their lives. King James, whom initiated the writing of the Book found it to be something that should be of universal teaching and understanding. Edith Hamilton’s Mythology on the other hand, is a book written by Edith Hamilton built on classical lore and legends of Greek, Roman, and Norse myths as appearing as poetry rather than as folklore. This isn’t as prevalent in needing to understand in the past two weeks of poems read as references of religious figures from the Bible considering if not most, many readers know a great amount of mythology.
Allen Ginsberg, a poet and activist of the 1950s and on, is most famous for his revolutionary poem "Howl", which used references of Jesus in the vulgar piece.
Although this lengthy poem was not one of a God fearing man, Ginsberg knew the Bible well enough to place references into “Howl”. Ginsberg writes, “who retired to Mexico to cultivate a habit, or Rocky Mount to tender Buddha or Tangiers to boys or Southern Pacific to the black locomotive or Harvard to Narcissus to Woodlawn to the daisychain or grave” (1360). Without having an understanding of the Bible, a reader may not understand that Woodlawn is the ancient place in Judea where Jesus Christ is believed to be where he had been crucified. Without an understanding of this, the reader or readers would not understand the image, nor the allusion in which Ginsberg was delivering in …show more content…
“Howl”.
“Howl” has multiple examples to deliver allusions to the reader past the crucifixion of Jesus that the Bible should be used for to get a better understanding if they are not already familiar with the books contained by it. Within the poem written, “who dreamt and made incarnate gaps in Time & Space through images juxtaposed, and trapped the archangel of the soul between 2 visual images and joined the elemental verbs and set the noun and dash of consciousness together jumping with sensation of Pater Omnipotens Aeterna Deus” (1361). Pater Omnipotens Aeterna Deus is Latin for Eternal Father God a phrase used by the French painter Paul Cezanne in a letter describing the effects of nature. Ginsberg uses this line as stupor of creation only to compare it to God.
Ginsberg lines of, “suffering of America's naked mind for love into an eli eli lamma lamma sabacthani saxophone cry that shivered,” displaied another allusion of Jesus crying out to God on the cross asking why he was forsaken (eli eli lamma lamma sabacthani).
These exact words found in the Bible in the book of Mark scripture 15:34, “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” Having a reader unfamiliar with the Bible, they may not understand Ginsberg reference yet again, considering it is of Hebrew language. With the understanding or translation of these Hebrew words, the reader can pull the text together gathering Ginsberg allusion more soundly.
Outside of Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl”, in Theodore Rothke’s “The Waking,” the narrator called out to God to guide him on his journey to wherever he may be going. In the third stanza, it reads:
Of those close beside me, which are
you?
God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there,
And learn by going where I have to go (1091).
The narrator in this poem is walking freely through his trivial life with only determination and purpose with God on his side. The book of Joshua 1:9 reads, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Also, in Jack Kerouacs, “Big Sur”, he uses allusions and vices of the Bible, which if a reader had an understanding of the Bible may gather a greater depiction of why he uses it. Kerouacs writes, “Macrocosms and microcosms and chillicosms and microbes and finally you got all these marvelous books a man aint even got time to read em all, what you gonna do in this already piled up multiple world when you have to think of the Book of songs, Faulkner, Cesar Birotteau, Shakespeare, Satyricons, Dantes, in fact long stories guys tell you in bars, in fact the sutras themselves, Sir Phillip Sidney, Sterne, Ibn El Arabi, the copious Lope de Vega luses and Davids… (1316).” Many of the people Kerouac list in this quote readers can identify who they are, unlike David, considering King isn’t in front of it. King David was the King of Israel was known for being a warrior who slayed Goliath as well as the writer of the books of Psalms in the Bible. Readers may read right over David’s name not entirely sure what allusion the writer was trying to make.
Although week 5 and 6 included many references to Greek mythology, biblical references were made as well. Considering Greek mythology is a topic usually covered in school, it is easier and more comfortable for a new reader to interpret the allusions a literature writer may disclose in their work if and when it is used. The Bible, on the other hand, is banned from being taught within schools which makes it tougher to interpret references for a reader when found in literature writer’s work. Also, because of the Bible being a means of teaching for Christians and Jews based on their religion, this will cause a deterrence in a reader who may not be of these religions or have a belief at all.
Without an understanding of the Bible, readers may find it difficult to understand the literary works of Allen Ginsberg, Theodore Rothke, and Jack Kerouacs with the allusions that are used in “Howl”, “The Waking”, and “Big Sur”. Millions may not follow the books of the Bible, which in turn will make it difficult to piece it with the literary work read over weeks 5 and 6. Edith Hamilton’s Mythology book has a lot that is covered in school unlike the Bible because of it being banned from being taught. Students learn about Greek and Roman myths making it easier to identify and understand in literature when acknowledged, whereas the Bible cannot. This is the reason as to why the Bible is more important and necessary to gather a better comprehension of the texts from Weeks 5 and 6 based upon the allusions the Professor Poets had used.