Themes and Values of the Beat Generation as Expressed in...

Themes and Values of the Beat Generation as Expressed in Allen Ginsbergs Poetry Perhaps one of the most well known authors of the Beat Generation is a man we call Allen Ginsberg, who expresses the themes and values in his poetry. He was, in fact, the first Beat Writer to gain popular notice when he delivered a performance of his now famous poem, #61505;Howl#61504;, in October of 1955. The Beat Generation is typically described as a vision, not an idea and being hard to define. It is characterized as #61505;a cultural revolution in process, made by a post-World War II generation of disaffiliated young people...without spiritual values they could honor#61504; (Charters XX). Although first condemned and criticized, it became†¦show more content†¦Kaddish is a poem written by Ginsberg for his mother. It is 2. a relatively confessional poem and indirectly addresses the reader, or in this case, his mother. It is also seen as an autobiographical elegy that reveals many private experiences which shaped Ginsberg#61501;s life and a confession of personal necessity. Kaddish, the term, comes from a Judaic prayer and suggests the poem is in memory of his mother. Kaddish becomes a song for the dead indicated by the first six words: #61505;Strange now to think of you.#61504; This indicates one of the poem#61501;s#61501;s themes, his mother. For instance, it is written, #61505;Death is that remedy all singers dream of#61504; (Litz 319). The singer represents the poet and his own turmoil. The fourth section, #61505;Lament#61504;, is a list of regrets for his mother, illustrating his obsession with her. The fifth, called #61505;Litany#61504;, reiterates major episodes of Naomi#61501;s sickness. Finally, the fifth section of #61505;Kaddish#61504;, #61505;Fugue#61504;, represents his own turm oil of emotion and problems which render the poet incapable of articulating anything other than the poems ending, #61505;Lord Lord Lord caw caw caw Lord Lord Lord caw caw caw#61504; (Charters 98). #61505;Howl#61504; also describes Ginsberg#61501;s own mental problems shown when he locates the core of corruption as a #61505;monster of mental consciousness#61504; (Ginsberg 48), or Moloch, aShow MoreRelatedConfessionalist Characteristics Of Allen Ginsberg And The Beat Generation1540 Words   |  7 PagesBeat Generation Research Paper During the 1950s, many different literary movements came to the spotlight. Two such movements were Confessionalism and Beat poetry. There are many commonalities between these movements, and often, authors and works from the Beat movement incorporate various Confessionalist characteristics. Allen Ginsberg, one such author, combined both Confessionalism and Beat poetry in a variety of his works, including Howl and Kaddish. The Confessionalist aspects of Allen GinsbergRead MorePost Wwii Culture On The United States2399 Words   |  10 Pagesimportantly during this time period a group of men who formed together in Greenwich Village, NY would start a cultural revolution that would inspire an entire generation to stand up and rebel against the conformist system they had been raised in. Allen Ginsberg was a member of this revolutionary literary group known as the â€Å"Beatniks†, or â€Å"Beats†. He served as the backbone for cultural change through his most famous collectio n of poems, Howl and other poems which included: California Super Market, Sunflower