Essay about Analysis of Allen Ginsbergs America - 1264 Words

Analysis of Allen Ginsbergs America What Allen Ginsberg did in 1955 was unthinkable. In the midst of McCarthyism and severe anticommunist sentiment, he wrote a poem in which he admitted having belonged to the Communist party. Yet, even more surprising was that he didnt stop there. In his poem America, Allen Ginsberg challenges the beliefs and values that the United States has always cherished, leaving no stone unturned, and no feather unruffled. Always the cynic and revolutionary, Ginsberg slaughters the sacred cows. It is evident from the very beginning that Ginsberg is disillusioned with American society, and he is ready to turn his back on what he feels has been oppressing him. America Ive given you all and now Im†¦show more content†¦The sheer audacity of a statement like this in 1955 has no comparison in present-day American society. In effect, Ginsberg was announcing himself as a criminal, a felon, and a traitor. Yet he antagonizes the situation further by saying, You should have seen me reading Marx. / My psychoanalyst thinks Im perfectly right. (P-M 369) Ginsbergs cynical nature shines here as he is pronounced sane by a doctor, who is probably certified by a federal department of medicine, when Senator McCarthy would have you believe that Communists are dangerous and/or mentally instable. It is also important to mention the reference made to marijuana in this passage. Ginsberg was an avid marijuana user and was at the forefront of the psychedelic revolution in the late 1960s, but it is apparent that he used the hallucinogen regularly almost a decade earlier. In the second stanza, Ginsberg changes from addressing America to addressing himself. This is an important transition because it is here where he comes to the conclusion that there are two Americas. It occurs to me that I am America. / I am talking to myself again. (P-M 369) This revelation comes by way of Time Magazine, which he is obsessed with and reads religiously. Its always telling me about responsibility. Businessmen are serious. / Movie producers are serious. Everybodys serious butShow MoreRelatedAnalysis on Allen Ginsberg’s â€Å"America†1591 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"America† by Allen Ginsberg was written in a very trying time, right after World War II and at the beginning of the Cold War. This was a time of controversy and taking a stand for personal beliefs, and Ginsberg did just that. Although America has been known by many as â€Å"the best country† and the country most accepting of other ethnicities, Allen Ginsberg shows that Americans are not all accepting and as good as many people believe. America, just like every country has had its problems and flaws, leadingRead More Supermarket in Califorina and Constantly Risking Absurdity Essay example1385 Words   |  6 Pages â€Å"A Supermarket in California† and â€Å"Constantly Risking Absurdity† Allen Ginsberg’s poem â€Å"A Supermarket in California† and Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s poem â€Å"Constantly Risking Absurdity† describe the struggle within to find beauty and self worth. Where Allen Ginsberg is lost in the market, desperately trying to find inspiration from Walt Whitman, Lawrence Ferlinghetti portrays the image of the poet frantically trying to balance on a high wire, risking not only absurdity, but also death. 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