Summary

Today, we focused on the countercultural movements of the mid-twentieth century, specifically the relationship between “Beat” poets and confessional poets.

The “Beat” movement began in the 1950s and continued into the early 1970s. Most of the “Beat” poets were highly educated individuals. These poets were also associated with the disaffected youth movement, known for going against the grain of society. The majority of their poetry dealt with eastern spirituality, sexual imagery, and drug use along with their blatant rejection of conformity. In class we connected these themes to Death of a Salesman, in which Willy represents striving for the dominant American dream and Biff represents a counterculture (connection to nature, kleptomania). Some of the more notable “Beats” are Ginsberg, Kerouac, Ferlinghetti, and Burroughs.

The main focus of our discussion was of Alan Ginsberg. Ginsberg was very much the father of the “Beat” movement. In his poem “A Supermarket in California” Ginsberg pays homage to another father of poetry, Walt Whitman.  Ginsberg’s poem mirrors Whitman’s style with long lines that Ginsberg designed to be read within a breath. We briefly discussed another Ginsberg poem, “Howl,” which has three themes: madness, performance, and the body. During the poem, there are a lot of drugs discussed along with people 'screaming' and being 'destroyed'. The poem also performs madness via diction with hostile, unpleasant gestures.  Finally, Ginsberg makes it clear that he is not afraid to explore the body (line 41).

The second group of poets discussed was the Confessional poets. These poets (including Sexton, Plath, and Lowell) were much more concerned with personal experience.  Furthermore, we briefly discussed how Lowell becomes a confessional poet after meeting Alan Ginsberg.  Plath's "Morning Song" illustrates this form’s intimacy, particularly in its striking comparisons of a newborn to less sentimental objects like a "gold watch."

Word Count: 298

Passages

"Ah, dear father, graybeard, lonely old courage-teacher,

what America did you have when Charon quit poling his ferry and

you got out on a smoking bank and stood watching the boat

disappear on the black waters of Lethe?" - A Supermarket in California, by Allen Ginsberg.

This passage from "A Supermarket in California" is asking Walt Whitman what kind of America he lived in when he died, perhaps referring to the loss of the frontier in America, and the urbanization that followed that loss.  Ginsberg also seems to be mourning the loss of that America which once was and no longer is, hopelessly urging a dead Whitman to grant him some respite from the longing.  This  conjures similar images from the Loman's home as apartment structures and the city slowly but steadily encroach upon their home.  

"I saw you, Walt Whitman, childless, lonely old grubber, poking among the meats in the refrigerator and eying the grocery boys."-A Supermarket in California, by Allen Ginsberg

In this passage Ginsberg makes reference to Walt Whitman's sexuality. Ginsberg implies that Whitman is homosexual which is why he is 'poking among the meats'.  Furthermore, the mundane and lewd images directly contrast the romanticized, sprawling, and energetic diction found in Whitman's own work, further highlighting the movement of America away from what it once was.  

"Who sweetened the snatches of a million girls trembling in the sunset, and were red eyed in the morning but prepared to sweeten the snatch of the sunrise, flashing buttocks under the barns and naked in the lake" - "Howl" by Allen Ginsberg

This passages makes referencs to one of the the 3 main themes in the poem: Body.  This passage parallels very much the initial passage as there are naked bodies "looking for an angry fix" in the women and the sunrise.  The madness portrayed here can also be indicative of the rationality involved with responding to the world of reason with madness.  

Key Terms

Beat Poets: A term used to describe a group of counter-culture poets in the 1950s-1970s. "Beat" refers to both being "beaten down" and Beatification, the first step to becoming a saint.

Confessional Poets: A group of poets who were also active in the 1950s-1970s. Similar to the beat poets, but more focused on personal experiences and introspection. Often write about mental illness, sexuality, and relationships.

Conspicuous Consumption: The act of buying expensive items or services in order to flaunt one's wealth, first introduced by Thorstein Veblen.  

Counterculture:  A movement that rejects the standards of mainstream society.  Term has progressed into watered down alternative culture: alternative music, alternative newspapers, etc.