Beneath the Grime of Life

For beat writers and artists in post-WWII America, there was a sharp contrast between lived experience and the expectations of the rapidly industrialized world. Allen Ginsberg was one such artist and poet, and his work is a prophetic, often graphic description of the shortcomings of modern American society.

Ginsberg opens the poem with images of a desolate landscape and the despair he feels as a result. He walks to the “ tincan banana dock” to lament the state of humanity, as poets often do, and sits down:

Ginsberg goes on to describe the desolation and lack of life in the landscape:

and even the lifeless, worn-out nature of himself and Jack, who are nothing but:

In the midst of this desolation, Kerouac directs Ginsberg’s attention to a sunflower. We expect to see a vibrant yellow bloom portrayed in the next lines, lifting us from the urban grime, but Ginsberg instead presents a startling black specter:

Related posts:

Everyday use is a story narrated by a mother who has two daughters of completely different personalities. the story is biased based on mama’s point of view, and discusses many conflicts and issues of…

Things break. No matter how you handle them, chances are that they will fail at some point. The same holds when it comes to bearing. However, understanding the main problems that affect can help you…