Sarah+Jo+Willis

**Allen Ginsberg 1926-1997 **

Introduction to Explication
Allen Ginsberg once said "I am a stenographer of my mind. I write down what passes through it, not what goes around me. I am a poet" (PoetryArchives). According to the book, Poetry Speaks, his poetry "rarely failed to provoke controversy" (Pashen 275). Despite the controversy of his poetry, Ginsberg is still considered one of America's greatest poets by a number of critics. His poetry deals with many controversial issues including homosexuality and sexual freedom, recreational drug use, anti-war propositions, and American conformity. In many of his poems, Ginsberg uses a satirical tone to criticize an America embroiled in selfish desires for power exhibited in violence towards other nations and conformity within America which has led to her destruction. Excerpts from "Howl", and the full poems "America", "September on Jessora Road", "Crossing Nation", and "Homework" will be analyzed to demonstrate the presence of the common theme of the selfish desires of America found in Ginsberg's poetry.

== "Howl" [|"Howl" by Ginsberg.doc] Ginsberg reading "Howl" ==  “Howl” is by far one of Ginsberg’s most well known poems and cannot be fully analyzed in this project due to the length of the poem; instead, important excerpts from Part I will be analyzed. The above links provide access to a reading of "Howl" by Ginsberg set to music and to a written copy of the poem. = "I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked..." Allen Ginsberg =

If a person has ever heard of Ginsberg, the first quote that comes to mind will more than likely be the first line of “Howl” which reads “I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked…” (Morgan 134). “Howl” in particular, is representative of Ginsberg’s life and the consequences of nonconformity within America.

When referring to “the best minds of my generation” he actually refers to his friends and acquaintances of the 1940s and 1950s. He speaks of fellow poets, musicians, addicts, politicians, liberals, and other people who were unrepresented at the time. The best minds “who were expelled from academies for crazy and publishing obscene odes on the window” (Morgan 134) refers to his suspension from Columbia for doing just that. Ginsberg references Neal Cassady and his arrest for possession of two marijuana cigarettes in the line “who got busted in their public beards returning through Laredo with a belt of marijuana for New York” (Morgan 134) and he refers to Jack Kerouac, a native of Canada, and himself, a native of Paterson, NJ, as having minds that are “incomparable blind streets of shuddering cloud and lightning in the mind of leaping toward poles of Canada & Paterson, illuminating all the motionless world of Time between” (Morgan 134). Here he speaks of the works of Kerouac and himself as descriptions of the hypocrisy of America.

Protesting the government was a common activity of Ginsberg, whether it pertained to gay rights or Vietnam. He mentions the consequences of some protesters and the wrath of the government towards the protestors “who distributed Supercommunist pamphlets in Union Square weeping and undressing while the sirens of Los Alamos wailed them down, and wailed down Wall, and the Staten Island Ferry also wailed” (Morgan 135). Though citizens of a country which supports freedom of speech, the protestors were arrested for speaking of a subject not supported by the government and were punished for exerting the right of freedom of speech.

The poem was written for Carl Solomon, whom Ginsberg met in a mental institution. Ginsberg makes references to places where the two spent time together and alone (PoetryArchive). He mentions “Pilgrim State’s Rockland’s and Greystone’s foetid halls” (Morgan 138) mental institutions in which Solomon or Ginsberg’s mother had stayed as seen fit by the government. Ginsberg sees these places as terrifying and he makes use of words with negative connotations to illustrate his fear as he describes the halls “ bickering with the echoes of the soul, rocking and rolling in the midnight solitude-bench dolmen-realms of love, dream of life a nightmare, bodies turned to stone as heavy as the moon” (Morgan 138). Ginsberg fears Solomon’s safety in such a place, while feeling threats to his own safety when residing in the country that America has become, “ah, Carl, while you are not safe I am not safe, and now you’re really in the total animal soup of time” (Morgan 138).

** [|Ginsberg Reading "America"] **
 The above links provide access to a written version of “America” and to a reading of “America” by Ginsberg dedicated to Jack Kerouac.

= "America I've given you all and now I'm nothing" Allen Ginsberg =

A satirical tone is clearly at hand in Ginsberg’s most controversial poem “America.” He begins the poem with “America I’ve given you all and now I’m nothing” (Ginsberg 154) setting the theme of the poem to reflect his despair with contemporary American culture strengthening it with extreme sarcasm and mockery, leaving readers either laughing or exceedingly angry (PoetryArchives). Ginsberg begins the poem with a simple statement, he has given America all he could and now he is left with nothing, implying how America takes and takes from others but gives nothing back to those who are in need. He wants to know when she will start helping others and “end the human war” (Ginsberg 154) of starvation and violence. She can begin by “sending [her] eggs to India” (Ginsberg 154). His dislike of America due to her violent nature is evident as he tells her to “go f* yourself with your atom bomb (Ginsberg 154). Ginsberg mimics America’s superficiality as he expresses “America after all it is you and I who are perfect no the next world” (Ginsberg 154). He expresses “I’m sick of your insane demands” and states, “America stop pushing I know what I’m doing” (Ginsberg 154) as he escapes the conformity America pushes onto her people. He oppresses this conformity and mocks the commonalities of the American culture as he writes, “America I used to be a communist when I was a kid I’m not sorry. I smoke marijuana every chance I get” (Ginsberg 154).

It occurs to Ginsberg “that I am America” (Ginsberg 155) and he satirically presents the problems present in the current America. As America, “Asia is rising against me,” a foreshadowing of the Vietnam War, yet “I say nothing about my prisons nor the millions of underprivileged who live in my flowerpots under the light of five hundred suns” (Ginsberg 155). America is more concerned with the politics of foreign countries but does not do anything to fix the problems growing in the cities of America. Ginsberg switches his point of view a second time to address the internal problems of America. He demands America “free Tom Mooney,” a labor union leader falsely accused of a crime, “Sacco and Vanzetti must not die”, men accused of being Italian anarchists and eventually executed, and he declares “I am the Scottsboro boys,” black boys used as scapegoats for the rape of a white woman (Ginsberg 155). The examples above concern people did not conform to America’s standards, or were not “true Americans” based on skin color, ethnicities, or race, each of whom suffered punishment from the American government.

 In the last section of the poem Ginsberg's grammar switches to vernacular of an uneducated American as he blames the Cold War not on America but on “them bad Russians and them bad Chinamen.” (Ginsberg 155). The switch of grammar mocks the voices of the poorly educated Americans who cannot think for themselves, but instead take on the opinions of others around them. Despite the hardships felt by these people as America "make us all work sixteen hours a day. Help" (Ginsberg 156), they continue to conform to America's standards instead of breaking free to think for themselves.

__**"September on Jessore Road" Sung by Ginsberg**

The above links provide access to a written version of "September on Jessore Road" and a video showing a photomontage of the actual Jessore Road in Bangledesh. Ginsberg is heard in the background singing the poem to an almost cheerful tune, which strengthens the poems use of mockery to convey its meaning of American violence and selfishness. = "Finish the war in your breast with a sigh Come taste the tears in your own Human eye Pity us millions of phantoms you see Starved in Samsara on planet TV" Allen Ginsberg =

The poem “September on Jessore Road” differs greatly from the structure of most Ginsberg poetry as it is set up with quatrains and a rhyme scheme of aabb, rhyming “skies” with “eyes” in the first line (Ginsberg 579). Because the structure differs so much from his other works, it can be inferred that this structure is an extension of his mockery, mocking poets who use their skill to write about nature and happiness rather than writing to open the eyes of American conformists. His dislike of American Society due to her selfish desires is seen as he describes in detail the poverty-stricken and war-torn area of Bangladesh during the height of monsoon season and during the midst of a civil war (Morgan 480-81). By referring to the characters as “fathers,” “mothers,” “aunts,” etc. he forces the reader to empathize with the character by using pathos and paints a picture for one to see these characters as human beings, rather than targets for bombing. In this poem, his use of figurative language reflects his sarcasm and mockery and gives the poem a satirical tone. The metaphor “Starving black angels,” and the simile “thing legged like elderly nuns” (Ginsberg 579) uses sarcasm to describe the starving children lining the road to Calcutta. His sarcasm continues as he describes the ravenous children celebrating the fact there will be no rations this week, and as he depicts the illnesses engulfing the village.

Ginsberg uses mockery of American culture, conformity, and war tactics to strengthen his satirical tone and follow his common theme of dislike of America due to egotistical actions and unnecessary violence. He compares America to an angel although she is busy murdering innocent children with “Border trucks flooded, food cant get past, American Angel machine please com fast! Where is Ambassador Bunker today? Are his Helios machinegunning children at play?” (Ginsberg 581). When asked where the U.S. rescue helicopters are, he replies they are busy smuggling dope and bombing North Laos (Ginsberg 581). The mocking questions dealing with violence to other nations continue as he refers to Nixon’s “Army of Gold…Napalming North Vietnam and causing more grief” (Ginsberg 581).

Ginsberg mocks the contemporary American culture and implies that Americans see these starved children of Jessore Road on television but go off to “sup this night’s table on bone and roast pork” (Ginsberg 582). The American people pollute the planet with beer cans, smoke, and gasoline without thinking of the effects the pollution has on others. His mockery in this section illustrates his view of the American people as selfish and wasteful. At the end of the poem, his mockery switches back to appealing to the emotions as he refers to “Aunts with holes in their head” (Ginsberg 583). He ends his poem leaving the reader feeling shocked about the poverty in Bangladesh and even more shocked that the U.S. has enough resources to bomb Southeast Asia but cannot give aid to the innocent refugees who literally are starving to death (Morgan 481).  

 "Homework"
I'd throw in my United States, and pour on the Ivory Soap, scrub up Africa, put all the birds and elephants back in the jungle, I'd wash the Amazon river and clean the oily Carib & Gulf of Mexico, Rub that smog off the North Pole, wipe up all the pipelines in Alaska, Rub a dub dub for Rocky Flats and Los Alamos, Flush that sparkly Cesium out of Love Canal Rinse down the Acid Rain over the Parthenon & Sphinx, Drain the Sludge out of the Mediterranean basin & make it azure again, Put some blueing back into the sky over the Rhine, bleach the little Clouds so snow return white as snow, Cleanse the Hudson Thames & Neckar, Drain the Suds out of Lake Erie Then I'd throw big Asia in one giant Load & wash out the blood & Agent Orange, Dump the whole mess of Russia and China in the wringer, squeeze out the tattletail Gray of U.S. Central American police state, & put the planet in the drier & let it sit 20 minutes or an Aeon till it came out clean ****
 *  If I were doing my Laundry I'd wash my dirty Iran

Despite the short length of “Homework,” the poem conveys just as strong a message as Ginsberg’s poems “Howl”, “America”, and “September on Jessore Road.” In the poem, Ginsburg makes use of an analogy comparing an every day task of washing the laundry to cleaning up America’s messes, which are created everyday. If he were doing laundry, Ginsberg decides, “I’d wash my dirty Iran, I’d throw in my United States, and pour on the Ivory Soap, scrub up Africa” (Ginsberg 739). The poem was written in 1980, so washing dirty Iran refers to the erupting Iran-Iraq war, eventually leading to the Gulf War. During the same time period, America increased her military strength due to growing tensions with the USSR so Ginsberg wishes to wash the possibility of a war from the United States. He wishes to scrub up Africa to rid the war-stricken continent from suffering several wars in 1980 including the Chad Civil War as well as Shaba.

Ginsberg moves from cleaning up the countries to attacking the stains left by America on nature. The industrialization and growth of the United States caused by America’s selfish desire for power led to destruction of many beautiful resources not only in America but also throughout the world. He must “wash the Amazon” and clean the oil that has spread through the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico (Ginsberg 739). He must “Rub that smog off the North Pole and wipe up all the pipelines in Alaska” (Ginsberg 739) resulting from the growth of the oil industry and the quest for oil. Next he tackles the problems caused by the growth in Europe, he must “Rinse down the Acid Rain over the Parthenon & Sphinx” (Ginsberg 739) and prevent the erosion of the ancient ruins. He needs to restore the colors of the Mediterranean, the Rhine, and the clouds, places that have darkened in color as smog fills the air and sludge drains from factories into the rivers. He returns to America to “Drain the Suds out of Lake Erie” (Ginsberg 739).

Ginsberg returns to cleansing the countries and tackles “big Asia in one giant Load & wash out the blood & Agent Orange” (Ginsberg 739). Agent Orange references to a chemical used in the Vietnam War, a war Ginsberg strongly opposed. Ginsberg wishes to wash the blood lost by the innocent caused by America soldiers from Vietnam. He finally adds “the whole mess of Russia and China in the wringer, squeeze out the tattletail Gray of U.S. Central American police state, & put the planet in the drier & let it sit 20 minutes or an Aeon till it cam out clean” (Ginsberg 739). In the last line of the poem, Ginsberg expresses his desire to place not only America, but the whole planet, into the wash until the world is rid of evil, of war, of destruction, no matter how long it takes.

== "Capitol Air" [|Capital Air.doc] Ginsberg Singing "Capitol Air" with The Clash ==

The above links provide access to the lyrics/poem of "Capitol Air" and to the song "Capitol Air" sung by Ginsberg with The Clash. The upbeat tempo and rhythm are extensions of Ginsberg's use of satire and mockery to get the point across to the listeners that the thirst for power will eventually destroy the world as we know it. =="Aware Aware wherever you are No Fear Trust your heart Don't ride your Paranoia dear Breathe together with an ordinary mind Armed with Humor Feed & Help Enlighten Woe Mankind" Allen Ginsberg == “Capitol Air” is much like “September on Jessore Road” as it is set up in quatrains with a rhyme scheme of aabb so the poem could be put to music. The poem was written at the end of 1980, a time of much change throughout the world, tensions between Russia and America were growing, Ronald Reagan was elected president, capitalism and laissez-fair economics grew in popularity, the technology industry experienced explosive growth, John Lennon was shot, and wars erupted throughout the world in response to selfish desires for power. Ginsberg makes use of the rhyme and meter to satirically describe all that is wrong in the world. He opens the eyes of his readers to see the changes that must be made to keep from destroying our planet.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> He opens the poem with “I don’t like the government where I live I don’t like the dictatorship of the Rich” (Ginsberg 751) expressing his dislike of American democracy controlled by the people who feed the government money rather than the average person. He goes on to state his dislike of other forms of government, the “Communist Censorship of my books,” and “Castro insulting members of my sex” (Ginsberg 751). The censorship of books refers to the burning of books written by Jewish authors by the Nazis during WW2 and also mocks Senator McCarthy’s burning of books related to Communism by referring to him as a Communist. His reference to Castro reflects the inequality subjected to homosexuals in the 1960s. Ginsberg expresses his dislike for Capitalists who cause destruction of the land and the natives in order to build big companies.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">Ginsberg disagrees with the “K.G.B. Gulag concentration camps” where people who opposed the communist beliefs were sent and the “Maoists’ Cambodian Death Dance” (Ginsberg 751) where America sent bombs to overcome the Viet Cong. Ginsberg continues listing his dislikes and makes references to the death of JFK, the Iran-Contra Act, the growing problems of Korea, and the Cold War. The common theme America’s desire for power with no regards for violence to others shows itself as “Two hundred Billion dollars inflates World War In United States every year They’re asking for more Russia’s got as much in tanks and laser planes Give or take Fifty Billion we can blow out everybody’s brains” (Ginsberg 753). He goes on to criticize the government’s craving for power on both sides of the Cold War but, “No hope Communism no hope Capitalism…Everybody’s lying on both sides” (Ginsberg 754) so he urges his readers to see there is no hope in the government of the world today. Ginsberg states “The moral of the song is that the world is in a horrible place Scientific Industry devours the human race Police in every country armed with Tear Gas & TV Secret Masters everywhere bureaucratize for you & me” (Ginsberg 754).

<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">The growth of industry has led to inventions of horrible war weapons, causing harm not only to soldiers but also to innocent bystanders. The desire for growth and power caused countries to resort to violence towards other nations while leading to destruction within the home country. Ginsberg leaves his reader with a solution to the rapidly growing problems of the world, “Aware, Aware wherever you are No Fear Trust your heart Don’t ride your Paranoia dear Breathe together with an ordinary mind Armed with Humor Feed & Help Enlighten Woe Mankind” (Ginsberg 754).

<span style="background-color: #f8fa38; color: #00b8ff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left; vertical-align: super;">Work Cited:
<span style="background-color: #f8fa38; color: #00b8ff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left; vertical-align: super;"> **Ginsberg, Allen. Collected Poems 1947-1997. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006.

Morgan, Bill. I Celebrate Myself, The Somewhat Private Life of Allen Ginsberg. New York: Pengiun Group, 2006.

Motion, Andrew. "Allen Ginsberg." The Poetry Archive. 2005. Poetry Archive. 28 March 2010 <http://www.poetryarchive.org>

Paschen, Elise. Poetry Speaks. Nashville: Sourcebooks MediaFusion, 2001.**

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; vertical-align: super;">Ginsberg and Bob Dylan at Jack Kerouac's Grave
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; vertical-align: super;">

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; vertical-align: super;">Johnny Depp on Ginsberg
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; vertical-align: super;">

==<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; vertical-align: super;">Paul McCartney and Ginsberg "The Ballad of the Skeletons" ==