In an action packed life of 70 years in the Beat movement, Allen Ginsberg accomplished an abundance of achievements. These achievements included advancements in gay rights, freedom of speech and much more. Ginsberg is famous for his free speech that was controversial in the 1950s but then praised in the 1960s. When Ginsberg first started out, he was one of the first to talk about taboo subjects like sex, much like his idol, Walt Whitman. Free speech is not the only thing that Ginsberg was notable for; in fact, he was particularly active in social and political settings. For example, he was a signer for the Vietnam protests vowing to refuse tax payments, he raised awareness for the Bangladesh victims, and he praised former communist heroes.
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In the beginning of the poem, Ginsberg does not fail to mention that he is in “hungry fatigue, and shopping for images”(Ginsberg 2). Therefore, emphasizing the consumerist culture of America during this time period. You do not simply buy items to survive but buy brand names to strive in society. He is so overwhelmed by the images that are thrown at him constantly through media, that he is physically shopping for the images described to him rather than food itself. With that being said, Ginsberg makes it clear that when he went into the “neon fruit supermarket”(Ginsberg 2) it was weird and he felt out of place because he saw families, husbands and wives shopping altogether. Later in the poem, Ginsberg mentions, “blue automobiles in driveways”(Ginsberg 11) which symbolizes the great amount of consumerism in the culture. After seeing house after house in a suburban area look identical, it urged him to describe the new American dream as “a nightmare of conformism and emptiness” (Semansky 272) and praise the old American dream of Whitman’s time by saying that it “represented individuality, a strong sense of community, and freedom from tyrannical work conditions” (Semansky …show more content…
Throughout the entire work of art, Ginsberg intentionally does not use the word “America” until the end; nevertheless, the poem is about our prodigious homeland. In the beginning of the poem, Ginsberg does a marvelous job depicting an America that fits a very 1950s ideal. As stated above, Ginsberg makes it clear that he does not fit into a 1950 consumerist culture, which is all about tangible purchased goods rather than love. A perfect example of this is when Ginsberg became confused and felt like he did not belong in this American dream anymore. “What peaches and what penumbras! Whole families shopping at night! Aisles full of husbands! Wives in the avocados, babies in the tomatoes! —And you, Garcia Lorca, what were you doing down by the watermelons?” (3). Because of this, Ginsberg conjures his old friend, Whitman, in order to bring back hope to America. Whitman is from a simpler time and represents the “lost America of love” (Ginsberg 11). A time where America was more about love rather than the things we purchased. But as the poem comes to an end, Ginsberg begins to question if Whitman actually lived in an era when America was about something other than shopping. “Will we walk all night through solitary streets? The trees add shade to shade, lights out in the houses, we 'll both be lonely. Will we stroll dreaming of
In the beginning of the poem, Ginsberg does not fail to mention that he is in “hungry fatigue, and shopping for images”(Ginsberg 2). Therefore, emphasizing the consumerist culture of America during this time period. You do not simply buy items to survive but buy brand names to strive in society. He is so overwhelmed by the images that are thrown at him constantly through media, that he is physically shopping for the images described to him rather than food itself. With that being said, Ginsberg makes it clear that when he went into the “neon fruit supermarket”(Ginsberg 2) it was weird and he felt out of place because he saw families, husbands and wives shopping altogether. Later in the poem, Ginsberg mentions, “blue automobiles in driveways”(Ginsberg 11) which symbolizes the great amount of consumerism in the culture. After seeing house after house in a suburban area look identical, it urged him to describe the new American dream as “a nightmare of conformism and emptiness” (Semansky 272) and praise the old American dream of Whitman’s time by saying that it “represented individuality, a strong sense of community, and freedom from tyrannical work conditions” (Semansky …show more content…
Throughout the entire work of art, Ginsberg intentionally does not use the word “America” until the end; nevertheless, the poem is about our prodigious homeland. In the beginning of the poem, Ginsberg does a marvelous job depicting an America that fits a very 1950s ideal. As stated above, Ginsberg makes it clear that he does not fit into a 1950 consumerist culture, which is all about tangible purchased goods rather than love. A perfect example of this is when Ginsberg became confused and felt like he did not belong in this American dream anymore. “What peaches and what penumbras! Whole families shopping at night! Aisles full of husbands! Wives in the avocados, babies in the tomatoes! —And you, Garcia Lorca, what were you doing down by the watermelons?” (3). Because of this, Ginsberg conjures his old friend, Whitman, in order to bring back hope to America. Whitman is from a simpler time and represents the “lost America of love” (Ginsberg 11). A time where America was more about love rather than the things we purchased. But as the poem comes to an end, Ginsberg begins to question if Whitman actually lived in an era when America was about something other than shopping. “Will we walk all night through solitary streets? The trees add shade to shade, lights out in the houses, we 'll both be lonely. Will we stroll dreaming of