Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Comparison of "Howl" by Allen Ginsberg and "Leaves of Grass" by Walt Whitman
First of all, I noticed that in neither poems are rhymes. Both poems do not mention a specific person or direct to someone special. Allen repeats the term "who" and Whitman also uses such devices. They both talk about "taboo" topics, like sexuality, drugs, and alcohol. Furthermore, they both emphasize the importance of the individual, since society consists of only individuals. Ginsberg as well as Whitman states that the individual is heavily influenced by society, both positively as well as negatively. In conclusion, you can see that Allen Ginsberg was heavily influenced and inspired by Walt Whitman.
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Well, we said that the influence was there because Ginsberg himself said that it was. Your analysis is good as far as it goes. Remember that both of them are talking about this country and its people; the society has certainly changed so far as Ginsberg is concerned. While Whitman is celebrating the new nation through its common people, Ginsberg seems to be convinced that the best minds are falling apart, and he seems to try to figure out why.The Beat Generation writers bother me in their search for something that they seem unable to find. The search takes them into areas that I am not comfortable with. I identify with Whitman's picture of the nation in the Preface much more than I do with the picture painted by Ginsberg.
ReplyDeleteGinsberg didn't "mention a specific person or direct to someone special"? That's an...interesting reading.
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