“Howl” by Allen Ginsberg

In the poem “Howl”, Allen Ginsberg depicts an image of a disastrous world which reflects a time in history that was experiencing cultural, social and economic change. Ginsberg used this poem to express anger towards the modern American culture. “Howl” is mainly about demonstrating and revealing the madness, neglect, and hypocrisy that Ginsberg and his generation suffered during that time. Seeking liberation, Ginsberg shows his anger and frustration by showing the readers the horrors of their culture using madness and spirituality.

Ginsberg beliefs are shown at the beginning of “Howl” when he describes madness and oppression which were a result of the conservative society the people were living in.
I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked,/dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix,/ angelheaded hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly/ connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of night. (Ginsberg 1-3) by which these lines show Ginsberg’s thoughts at the time. He believed that the “best minds” of his generation were the ones who were driven to madness and insanity fighting to find their way out of this culture. If you take a look at the title “Howl” which elucidates that this poem is not going to be a quiet one. As explained in class, the title hold an animalistic feature where the artists or the “best minds” of that generation were not going to let this go away easily. “who were expelled from the academies for crazy & publishing obscene odes on the windows of the skull,”( Ginsberg 7) reveals that the “best minds” along with Ginsberg were thrown out of school for being crazy and openly portraying sexual matters. “who got busted in their pubic beards returning through Laredo with a belt of marijuana for New York,” (Ginsberg 9); this is when they started to smuggle marijuana to Mexico through New York. they were out of their minds. all of this was a result of the suppression they have been living with. let’s just call it “acting out”. Beneath all the anger that has suppressed inside of them, Ginsberg believed that by writing this poem, he could send a message to the authorities and every person who believed in this conservative system that favored conformity rather than opportunity.

Spirituality is shown throughout the poem to emphasize on the fact that no social restraint will keep them from speaking up and saying what is on their minds. Ginsberg clearly and directly uses the acts of drug use, oral and anal sex, as well as homosexuality. He openly discussed drugs and homosexuality. They were indulging in public sex and marijuana. “who got busted in their pubic beards returning through Laredo with a belt of marijuana for New York,” (Ginsberg 9); this is when they started to smuggle marijuana to Mexico through New York. They were out of their minds and all of this was a result of the suppression they have been living with. Let’s just call it “acting out”. “who let themselves be fucked in the ass by saintly motorcyclists, and screamed with joy,/who blew and were blown by those human seraphim, the sailors, caresses of Atlantic and Caribbean love,/who balled in the morning in the evenings in rose gardens and the grass of public parks and cemeteries scattering their semen freely to whomever come who may,” (Ginsberg 36-38). These lines explained how in addition to sex with motorcyclists, they also engaged in oral sex with sailors on leave. They had anonymous sex with strangers in public gardens and parks. Here yo can see that Ginsburg starts to believe the the modern American culture can change and be open to new opportunities.It was illegal and most people looked down on homosexuals. People really didn't talk about it and if you were caught being gay then you were a sinner, pervert, and a criminal all at the same time. The descriptions that he used were real-life events by people Ginsberg knew. He wanted to show that homosexuality is a right and that human beings should have free will.

His personal experience and background provoked him to write this piece of art which contributed to the evolution of the American culture. He was straightforward and laid his point on the table. Eventually, he did change the values and beliefs the modern society had imposed on them. This poem was a turning point in America’s history.