Allen Ginsberg was deeply influenced by Walt Whitman, especially by Whitman’s major work "Song of Myself". They both were poets who tried to be a voice for the people, and who wanted to experience closeness in a time of growing distance between the people.
This paper will compare Walt Whitman’s "Song of Myself" with Allen Ginsberg’s "Howl" concerning their intention as well as their big similarities of style and themes, even though there is nearly a century between their works. The lack of regularity and the many sexual metaphores in Whitmans lyric can also be seen in Ginsberg’s poem about his experiences with drug use and its consequences.
Like Whitman broke with the traditional rules of his time, Ginsberg and several of his writer friends did in the midth of the twentieth century. Pieces like “Howl”, Kerouac’s “On the Road” or William Burroughs’s “Naked Lunch” were a wake-up call for the American people to think about the development of the American society. Whitman, on his account, gave an overview about the diversity of the American people and wanted to support the Democratic beliefs with his epic poem. Thus, both wanted to change the traditional, comformist paths of American politics and human interaction. Both works shocked their surroundings profoundly.
This paper will place the analysis of the two poems in the historic content and focus on criterias like style, intention and political background. Ginsberg and Whitman both used non-metric verses to support their cry for political and sexual freedom, and their main focus was the ‘male comradeship’ or ‘ahesiveness’, the love they seeked and could not find in their environment. For that reason this paper will first concentrate on Whitman and Ginsberg’s perspectives and surroundings to see why these two poets share a special bond.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Walt Whitman and Allen Ginsberg
3. “Song of Myself” and “Howl”
4. Conclusion
Objectives and Themes
This paper examines the literary relationship between Walt Whitman and Allen Ginsberg by comparing their seminal works, "Song of Myself" and "Howl". It explores how both poets utilized non-metric, open verse to challenge the social, political, and cultural conformism of their respective eras, focusing specifically on their shared ideals of democracy, male comradeship, and individual freedom.
- The evolution of American society and the role of the poet as a social critic.
- The use of sexual symbolism and homoeroticism as a tool for political and personal liberation.
- A comparative analysis of linguistic style, including the use of free verse and neologisms.
- The impact of industrialization and materialism on the individual spirit.
- The legacy of "male comradeship" as a foundational element of democratic empathy.
Excerpt from the Book
3. “Song of Myself” and “Howl”
I celebrate myself, And what I assume you shall assume, For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.22 I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterically naked, Dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix…23
These are the two opening lines of Whitman’s Song of Myself and Ginsberg’s Howl. Both became very famous in literary discussions and, put next to each other, show both, the similarities and the differences.
Whitman uses “self-exaltation”24 in his opening, that gives the reader a clue of how the poem will continue: he describes American society, from highest to lowest social hierarchy, which is all the same, as “every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you”, and he does it with a positive undertone, a passion for the goodness of his society (“celebrate”). The opening equalizes not only all members of the American people, but also writer and reader: “if ‘you’ can assume the same identity or obligations as ‘I’ can, then the two can no longer be so easily distinguished”.25 Whitman creates a great union in his first stanza, a union of all members of society. With the help of rhetorical questions, direct addresses to the reader and descriptions of the most distinguished members of society, the poem is exploring “the relationship between the individual and society in a democracy”.26
Ginsberg, on the other hand, states in his first line the impact the development of the American society in the 1950s has had on him and his companions: destruction, madness, drug addiction. Just as Song of Myself describes American society, so is Howl. It is mostly autobiographic, Ginsberg has seen and expierenced most scenes that are brought up in the poem – all the friends of him who could not share the dream of the 1950s.27 Neeli Cherkovski describes it as follows:
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the connection between Walt Whitman and Allen Ginsberg, establishing the paper’s goal to compare their works through the lens of political, social, and stylistic similarities.
2. Walt Whitman and Allen Ginsberg: This chapter explores the personal and artistic affinity between the two poets, detailing how they both acted as critical voices against the conformist and alienating forces of their respective American eras.
3. “Song of Myself” and “Howl”: This chapter performs a comparative literary analysis of the two poems, focusing on their opening lines, use of symbolism, and their differing portrayals of societal decay versus democratic hope.
4. Conclusion: The final chapter synthesizes the main arguments, affirming that despite the different historical contexts, both poets remain linked by their pursuit of individual freedom and human connection.
Keywords
Walt Whitman, Allen Ginsberg, Song of Myself, Howl, Beat Generation, American Literature, Democracy, Male Comradeship, Conformity, Industrialization, Social Critique, Free Verse, Homosexuality, Counterculture, Individualism
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this academic paper?
The paper investigates the literary and thematic parallels between Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" and Allen Ginsberg's "Howl," highlighting their shared resistance against social conformity.
Which central topics are discussed in the work?
Key topics include the development of American society, the role of the poet in democracy, the significance of sexual freedom, and the impact of rapid industrialization on the human spirit.
What is the primary research aim of the study?
The aim is to demonstrate how Whitman's 19th-century vision of democracy and "male comradeship" influenced Ginsberg and the Beat Generation in their critique of mid-20th-century post-war America.
Which academic methods are employed?
The paper utilizes a comparative literary analysis, placing the poems within their respective historical and political contexts while focusing on criteria like style, imagery, and intent.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body compares the rhetorical strategies, use of free verse, and specific thematic symbolism (such as the "Moloch" in Ginsberg's work) used by both poets to challenge the status quo.
How would you characterize this work through keywords?
The work is defined by terms such as Beat Generation, democratic idealism, social critique, individualism, and the literary legacy of Walt Whitman.
How does the author define the concept of "Moloch" in the context of the Beat Generation?
The author explains that Ginsberg uses "Moloch" as a powerful metaphor for the mechanical, militaristic, and materialistic nature of modern American society that destroys individual imagination.
What role does sexuality play in both poets' works?
Sexuality is used as a tool for rebellion; for Whitman, it is a natural, joyous expression of union, while for Ginsberg, it represents a defiant rejection of the heteronormative and repressive moral standards of the 1950s.
- Citation du texte
- Marina Küffner (Auteur), 2009, From “Song of Myself” to “Howl”. Walt Whitman as pioneer to the Beat Generation, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/454829
