Ginsberg absorbed his parents’ obsessions-most notably, his father’s love of the written word and his mother’s encouragement of radical politics. His Russian Jewish mother, Naomi, was a communist, and his father, Louis, was a poet and high school teacher. It remains one of the most well-known poems from the Beat Generation to this day.Īllen Ginsberg (1926-1997) was born in Newark, New Jersey, on June 3, 1926. Despite the dark vision, “Howl” also offers hope and solidarity through rebirth and celebration. Themes include the horrors of US capitalism, mental illness, heteronormativity, gay pride, embracing quotidian beauty, authenticity, and more. Regardless of one’s stance on the matter, “Howl” paints a dark vision of America: Angels in mortal form search for meaning and connection while traversing a dystopian country run by bloodthirsty capitalism personified. Others argued (and still do) Ginsberg eventually bought into the very system that “Howl” vehemently critiques.
Early detractors of “Howl” took issue with what they perceived as a loosening of morals inherent to Beat poetry, of which “Howl” is perhaps the most well-known artifact. Ginsberg eventually became a household name, to the point his public figure often overshadowed his prophetic yet shocking poems, and even caused some to label him a sellout.
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