...Ginsberg’s poem Howl is one of the most widely read and translated poems of the century. The language incorporated in the poem is difficult to understand which requires readers to contemplate and think outside of the box. However despite the difficulty, Ginsberg gives the reader a deeper understanding of how he feels by expressing his individualism through the poem with tone and imagery. During the 1950’s, an American literary movement emerged known as the Beat Generation. The origins of the Beat Generation can be traced to Columbia University where Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and others initially met. These Beat poets who were referred to as “the best minds” in Howl, broke free from the habit of conformity...
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...“Nature” of Allen Ginsberg - Hear Our HOWL There are a lot of things that can be expressed from the mind. How the thoughts are presented through the mouth of the individual can be interpreted in many ways. Is the person upset? Is the person trying to make a point that can only be understood by a certain group of individuals? What is the message they are trying to convey? In Allen Ginsberg’s poem: HOWL, he expresses his outlook on the world in a run-on, angry, and a derogatory fashion combination which make up the theme of reformation: being a non-conformist himself in a set-ruled based 1950s society. HOWL has a unique nature to it. It projects Ginsberg’s anarchistic view on reality’s “social” standing. HOWL sort of reflects on how Allen Ginsberg views the world. Ginsberg is one of the most renowned poets of his time and an iconic figure of the Beat generation. As an activist, he was very open about what he believes in – anti-war, homosexuality and so on. When he moved to San Francisco in 1954, he joined a clique that sought out to “eschew rigid rules of...
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...Culture The Land of the Howling... Culture is the totality of people’s lifestyles and life stories. It summarizes one’s place’s history and reflects its civilization. It is an identity. There is no place without culture; there is no society without culture. Without it, there is no existence; no stories to share to future generations. Catanduanes, a small kidney-shaped island in the Pacific, abounds with a conglomeration of folkways and mores which constitute its rich culture. Some of these stories are commendable while others are dishonourable to some extent. Catanduanes has been known as the “Land of the Howling Winds” because of the many strong tropical cyclones that visit it every year and leave it devastated and desolated like a lover forsaken by a beloved. But aside from this epithet affixed to our province which implies its geographical condition and location, are there still other words we can attach to the phrase “Land of the Howling...” which in one way or another will help other people imagine and understand what our province really is? Well, maybe we just need to try. Land of the Howling Pigs and Drunkards Percy Bysshe Shelley in his “Ode to the West Wind” wrote, “O trumpet of the Prophecy, If winter comes, can spring be far behind?’. Cirilo Bautista, that celebrated Filipino poet, wrote in one of his essays, “If summer comes, can teacher seminars be far behind?”. I, on the other hand ask, “If summer comes, can fiestas be far behind?” This is the summer...
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...A Howl in the Wind Allen Ginsberg was one of the most influential poets /writers during his time. He was considered as the founding father of the Beat Generation and was known for his poem, HOWL. In addition, Ginsberg was born in Newark, New Jersey in the year 1926, suffering from an emotionally troubled life throughout his teenaged years because he’s been secluded when finally realizing his desirability towards men, while his father Louis is the one who introduced Ginsberg to poetry. Besides his father, Ginsberg had many literary influences such as, William Carlos Williams, Lionel Trilling, Mark Van Doren, etc. Nonetheless, later in the years, after remaining an “iconic figure” of the counterculture throughout the 1960 and 70s, he passed...
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...independence and creativity is the reflection of the truly literary, aesthetic and cultural value of his poems. Allen Ginsberg’s spiritual ethos is embedded in his writing style and language. Ginsberg's style may have seemed to be chaotic or un-poetic, but to Ginsberg it was an open, ecstatic expression of thoughts and feelings that were naturally poetic. “Moloch! Solitude! Faith! Ugliness! […] Moloch! Moloch! […]” (Howl part 2, 3-6). According to Ginsberg: “Poetry is not an expression of the party line. It's that time of night, lying in bed, thinking what you really think, making the private world public, that's what the poet does.” Which also demonstrates Ginsberg’s poem has no form, and it is the chosen phrases that express his mind. Ginsberg believed strongly that traditional formalist considerations were archaic and didn't apply to reality. Though the language of Ginsberg’s poem is vulgar and coarse, it is inevitable in its description, which reveals his masculine. “Who let themselves be fucked in the ass by saintly motorcyclists, and screamed with joy […]”(Howl part 1). “The smoked ashes of some cock cigar, the cunts of wheelbarrows and the milky breasts of cars, worn out ashes out of chairs […]” (Sunflower Sutra). The frankness and reckless in language, the passion...
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...5% of New Zealanders have attempted suicide with males being 3.6% more likely to commit suicide than females. This is also reflected in OECD (Organisation for economic co-operation and development) statistics, New Zealand currently has the highest rate of youth suicide, ages 15-24, in countries belonging to the OECD and 29th highest overall suicide rate. This is why I have decided to explore ‘the catalysts prevalent in established society which can be detrimental to our populations overall mental health.’ This theme is prevalent within the following combination of texts; Howl by Allen Ginsberg, Mental Cases by Wilfred Owen, Requiem for a Dream by Darren Aronofsky and Shutter Island by Martin Scorsese. These texts explore different aspects of the human psyche and of mental illness by examining these texts I hope to identify and expose which aspects of our society could be injurious to our mental health. Howl written in 1955 is Allen Ginsberg’s most famous piece of poetry to date which proved to be provocative and test the boundaries of the society which Ginsberg lived in. He pushed the boundaries of free speech writing on a range of topical issues concerning himself or that he believed were in need of denouncement....
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...“Howl” by Allen Ginsberg In the poem “Howl”, Allen Ginsberg depicts an image of a disastrous world which reflects a time in history that was experiencing cultural, social and economic change. Ginsberg used this poem to express anger towards the modern American culture. “Howl” is mainly about demonstrating and revealing the madness, neglect, and hypocrisy that Ginsberg and his generation suffered during that time. Seeking liberation, Ginsberg shows his anger and frustration by showing the readers the horrors of their culture using madness and spirituality. Ginsberg beliefs are shown at the beginning of “Howl” when he describes madness and oppression which were a result of the conservative society the people were living in. I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked,/dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix,/ angelheaded hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly/ connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of night. (Ginsberg 1-3) by which these lines show Ginsberg’s thoughts at the time. He believed that the “best minds” of his generation were the ones who were driven to madness and insanity fighting to find their way out of this culture. If you take a look at the title “Howl” which elucidates that this poem is not going to be a quiet one. As explained in class, the title hold an animalistic feature where the artists or the “best minds” of that generation were not going to let this go...
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...HOWL For Carl Solomon I I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix, angelheaded hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly connection to the starry dynamo in the machin- ery of night, who poverty and tatters and hollow-eyed and high sat up smoking in the supernatural darkness of cold-water flats floating across the tops of cities contemplating jazz, who bared their brains to Heaven under the El and saw Mohammedan angels staggering on tene- ment roofs illuminated, who passed through universities with radiant cool eyes hallucinating Arkansas and Blake-light tragedy among the scholars of war, who were expelled from the academies for crazy & publishing obscene odes on the windows of the skull, who cowered in unshaven rooms in underwear, burn- ing their money in wastebaskets and listening to the Terror through the wall, who got busted in their pubic beards returning through Laredo with a belt of marijuana for New York, who ate fire in paint hotels or drank turpentine...
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...The main reason for Ginsberg writing this poem is disagreement with his country's political and social views at that time. Ginsberg raised American poetry to a new level. He was not afraid to be different from other authers of that time. He revealed to the public all the bad sides of his country and encourage people to change it. The author ponders of the modern American life. He thinks of America's past and future. Ginsberg feels bitterness, pain and resentment over the country and the people. Ginsberg applies the principle of "listing" by which tried to fix subtle apprehension, sensations and emotions. He expressed the pain of loss and outrage on behalf of the American people. "I haven't read the newspapers for months, everyday somebody goes on trial for murder". "Your machinery is too much for me". The author states that "I'm sick of your insane demands". The inner world of the main hero is opposed to the indifferent and cynical outside world. However, in the same time, he expresses its blood relationship with his country. "It occurs to me that I am America". In the burning of the poem we can feel how the author is exhausted. "America I've given you all and now I'm nothing". It is sounds like he is about to give up; however, Ginsberg was not indifferent to the events which were going on in the world around him such as the war, especially, if this war was started by the country he lives in. "America when will we end the human war?" He is blaming America for the bloodshed...
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...Dad has a new job, which means a new area, a new house and worst of all, a new school. Sadly I finished unpacking yesterday so I'm going to school today, why can't I stay home again? "Scarlet! Come down or you'll miss breakfast!" My mum calls from downstairs; I take one more look at my choice of outfit before going to the kitchen and eating my breakfast. "Where's dad?" I look up at my mum to see her over happy face, how can she be so happy about this? "He's gone to work; a different job means a different schedule." I don't question anymore as I finish my food, kiss my mum and little sister and run out the door. I get to school and head to the principal’s office, the woman at the desk lets me in and the principal stares me down. "Welcome Scarlet, here is you new class schedule, I have also assigned a buddy to help you get around the school." Before I know what's happening I'm out the office and facing a boy a little taller than me. "Hey." Man I'm awkward around new people, he doesn't look up as he whispers a small hello and walks off. I run after him and silently follow into a class room, he sits down and I get the feeling he doesn't like me. Too bad, the only open seat is next to him, I walk over and the teacher starts talking about random stuff. As the teachers going on and on I decide its best to at least have my 'buddy' half like me, so I write a note and slide it over to him, luckily he has a look and writes back. Me: what's your name? Him: Ben, yours? Me: Scarlet...
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...War is an endless topic, and an ongoing conversation. In the movie , Howls Castle, war is condemned by both main characters, shown as both pointless and malevolent. Itt starts off in a modern town. Throughout the beginning, a girl named Sophie is turned into an older woman but a richer upper-class woman. Sophie ends up in Howls Castle, and after meeting with Calcifer (a fire demon) stays for a bit. During her time there, a war is engaged. Howl, a wizard with an obvious secret, fights and meets with some of the top leaders. Howl can be seen fighting with other creatures and talking with Sophie about how wasteful and harmful the war is. With this, I've concluded that the theme of Howl's Moving Castle is that war is bad. In the story,...
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...Howl In the post-World War II years, a cultural and literary movement began. A new generation of American writers, artists and thinkers reacted and expressed their ideas in obscene forms. They were called “The Beats” who were formed in the 1950’s by poets Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac. Howl by Allen Ginsberg illustrates America’s post-World War II culture and political issues through his journey and views. The use of metaphors, tone, and descriptive language draw parallels between the ideas of, conformity to institutions, sexual repression, and religion. According to the Dictionary of Literary Biography, Allen’s Ginsberg was a popular poet after World War II. He was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1926. Ginsberg attended college at Columbia...
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...The movie Howl’s Moving Castle was a movie about a young woman cursed by witch and now is old. She begins her journey to look for her sister but comes upon a castle… Not a normal castle… A moving one to be exact. No one actually excepted Howl which was the demon guy, that’s why he had a cloak to hide the castle he lived in. This story included several types of themes including war, love and etc. The theme of war means that people are about to fight because the prince was kidnapped. A young woman named Sophie and a Witch formerly known as The Wicked Witch of the Waste had a love connection with a demon named Howl. A love connection theme is when there is a romantic telling that’s going on in a story for example The Howl and...
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...her look how she acts, which is an old lady. Sophie meets a wizard, Howl, and moves in with Howl, Calcifier, and Markl. They work together to break the curse placed on Howl, Calcifer, and Sophie. They spend most of their time in Howl's castle. Many people assume that prettier people are nicer and ugly people are mean, but that is not always the case. The movie is trying to teach the viewers that they should judge people based on personality and actions, and not how they look. The theme is shown through the dialogue, events, and motifs in the story....
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...(240) Mrs. Pentstemmon is no ordinary person, She is described her as, “the finest and most frightening lady Sophie had ever seen.” (229) Aside from being the grand sorceress who trained Howl and other great wizards, she doesn’t play that big of a role in the novel. She is only a minor character. The fact that she is only a minor character makes her more impressive. It really shows the thought Jones put in when making her female characters, from a feminist point of view, this is a great thing. She could have left the King being the most powerful one in the land but she intentionally chose not to. Instead she made a woman who worked hard to get where she is the most influential one in the...
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