"Howl" -Allen Ginsberg

Howl by Allen Ginsberg was one of the most prolific poems of the 1950s. Allen Gisberg was an American poet in the 1950s and vigorously opposed sexual repression, militarism and economic materialism, which the reader can see throughout his works. Ginsgerb was also a huge activist during his time fighting for Free Speech, Gay Rights, the War on Drugs and many other how topics of his time.

Allen Ginsberg spoke out, in his poems, about many controversial issues that most people avoided at all costs. Howl sought to address issues involved illicit drugs as well as homosexuality. Many people believed, and it was later confirmed that Howl was very biographical. Ginsberg explained that this poem was focused around his unresolved emotions about his mother's schizophrenia. Ginsberg's family had a long history of mental illness. Overall, the poem is extremely biographical and Ginsberg even mentions some of his past friends and even towns he grew up in.

Howl was published in a book of poems that Ginsberg wrote in 1956. The initial reception to Howl was not pleasant. Over 500 copies of the poem were seized, by customs, in San Francisco, coming from a printer in London. After a few individuals sold the book to undercover police officers when it was banned, the poem and Ginsberg were put on an obscenity trial. The government believed that the poem was not appropriate with all of the illegal drug and homosexual references. Fortunately for Ginsberg, many literary experts testified on his behalf and ultimately a California State Superior Judge ruled that the poem was "of redeeming social importance." The case received much media attention, especially for the 1950s, which set in motion the wave for defending the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States more than ever before.

Personally, when reading this poem, my mind went in many different directions. My initial sighting was that Ginsberg is defending acceptance of humans, no matter race, sex, gender or sexual preference. At the time when this poem was published supporting those social rights was almost taboo. Beyond acceptance, I was brought in to understanding not only Ginsberg's rough life, but also the rough lives that American citizens were living in during the 1950s, which was still a difficult economic and war time era.

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