I'd like to talk a bit about Allen Ginsberg's poem "Howl." We had to read it for class and it honestly made me sick. I couldn't get over the constant talk of "pubic beards" and "balls and cock." It's an extremely vivid and vulgar poem that was not at all in good taste in my opinion and I found it to be very offensive as a strait man. From the context, I take this to be Ginsberg's point in writing this poem. He wanted to "stick it to the man" (the strait, upright man that is). He also wanted to create a following, which he accomplished. He and his followers didn't last very long, however. True, they may have started a "revolution" in the homosexual society, but they really haven't come all that far. Not many poets today have kept up what Ginsberg started.
As a Christian, I believe homosexuality is a sin and that's why I feel the way I do about this poem and about Allen Ginsberg. I apologize if I offended any of you, but I believe I have just as much a right to speak about how I feel as Ginsberg did.
Hi Sam, Thank you for your honest post. That's what this is all about. He was hoping to make people angry and get them moving. Looking forward to reading more of your posts.
ReplyDeleteI have to credit your bravery, Sam. I'm not a fan of "Howl" either. I can admit the images were visceral and if Ginsberg's motivation was to anger society then he accomplished that. My problem with the poem is that I don't see any wisdom in it. Ginsberg bashes mainstream society and offers up drugs and random sex in the parks as a sane alternative. He compares against industry and the military to angry gods that demand human sacrifice.
ReplyDeleteThe lifestyle Ginsberg advocates is its own path to Molech. I don't believe homosexuality is a sin. I also don't believe that AIDS is a curse for homosexuality, but the risky sex and drugs culture that Ginsberg praises in "Howl" helped AIDS become a pandemic. How many of our children were fed into the belly of Molech because of this disease?
Maybe I have the advantage of hindsight, but all I see in "Howl" is surrender, self-destruction and cowardice. Ginsberg washes his hands and says this world is too messed up to fix, retreat into a bottle, retreat into the needle, retreat to disease. That's easy.