The Influence of Ferlinghetti
Brandon Durant
Professor Mannone
English 2
23 March 2011
Through the Eyes of Influence Lawrence Ferlinghetti 's father died before he was born, and his mother was placed in an insane asylum. He was left to be cared for by relatives, and eventually foster parents. Lawrence was ten years old when the stock market crashed October of 1929, which led to the Great Depression. He was twenty when World War II began in September of 1939. Serving as a Lieutenant Commander of the Navy during the war eventually exposed him to the traumatic effects of the atomic bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki. He explained how anyone who was able to witness the aftermath “would suddenly realize that they 'd been kept in the dark by the United States government as to what atomic bombs can do.” (nndb.com) This event changed Ferlinghetti. He became one of the key people of the Beat movement. The Beat poets “rebelled against what they saw as their country’s social conformity, political repression, and prevailing materialism” (868, Ann Charters). His City Lights bookshop “was an early gathering place of the Beats, and the publishing arm of City Lights was the first to print the Beats ' books of poetry” (biography.com). Although he was not always recognized as a core member of the young group of poets, his poems often contained remarks that had the potential to transform other peoples’ views. Through three of his poems, he influenced change by protesting the repression in society, the violence in war, and the injustices of the United States Government. Ferlinghetti finds popular culture unsettling, and expresses his view of society in his poem, “The World is a Beautiful Place”. He hopes that people will recognize what they have become, and long for individuality and change. “Our Name Brand society / is prey to / [its] men of distinction” refers to how our society is constantly trying to keep up with the latest trends and what is popular at the moment. And the men of
Professor Mannone
English 2
23 March 2011
Through the Eyes of Influence Lawrence Ferlinghetti 's father died before he was born, and his mother was placed in an insane asylum. He was left to be cared for by relatives, and eventually foster parents. Lawrence was ten years old when the stock market crashed October of 1929, which led to the Great Depression. He was twenty when World War II began in September of 1939. Serving as a Lieutenant Commander of the Navy during the war eventually exposed him to the traumatic effects of the atomic bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki. He explained how anyone who was able to witness the aftermath “would suddenly realize that they 'd been kept in the dark by the United States government as to what atomic bombs can do.” (nndb.com) This event changed Ferlinghetti. He became one of the key people of the Beat movement. The Beat poets “rebelled against what they saw as their country’s social conformity, political repression, and prevailing materialism” (868, Ann Charters). His City Lights bookshop “was an early gathering place of the Beats, and the publishing arm of City Lights was the first to print the Beats ' books of poetry” (biography.com). Although he was not always recognized as a core member of the young group of poets, his poems often contained remarks that had the potential to transform other peoples’ views. Through three of his poems, he influenced change by protesting the repression in society, the violence in war, and the injustices of the United States Government. Ferlinghetti finds popular culture unsettling, and expresses his view of society in his poem, “The World is a Beautiful Place”. He hopes that people will recognize what they have become, and long for individuality and change. “Our Name Brand society / is prey to / [its] men of distinction” refers to how our society is constantly trying to keep up with the latest trends and what is popular at the moment. And the men of
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