Howl
E63176
"Howl" is a landmark 1956 poem by Allen Ginsberg that became one of the defining works of the Beat Generation, known for its raw, free-verse critique of postwar American society and its central role in an obscenity trial that expanded literary freedom.
Observed surface forms (2)
| Surface form | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| Howl and Other Poems | 2 |
| Footnote to Howl | 1 |
Statements (48)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
literary work
ⓘ
poem ⓘ |
| associatedWith |
Allen Ginsberg
ⓘ
Beat Generation writers ⓘ Jack Kerouac ⓘ William S. Burroughs ⓘ |
| author | Allen Ginsberg ⓘ |
| centralTheme |
alienation in modern industrial society
ⓘ
critique of capitalism and conformity ⓘ madness and sanity ⓘ sexual freedom ⓘ spiritual quest ⓘ |
| containsCharacter |
Moloch
ⓘ
surface form:
Moloch (symbolic figure)
|
| countryOfOrigin |
United States of America
ⓘ
surface form:
United States
|
| culturalStatus |
defining text of the Beat Generation
ⓘ
landmark work of American literature ⓘ |
| dedicatedTo | Carl Solomon ⓘ |
| editor | Lawrence Ferlinghetti ⓘ |
| firstLine | I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness ⓘ |
| firstPublicReadingPlace | Six Gallery, San Francisco ⓘ |
| firstPublicReadingYear | 1955 ⓘ |
| firstPublishedIn |
Howl
self-linksurface differs
ⓘ
surface form:
Howl and Other Poems
|
| form | free verse ⓘ |
| genre | poetry ⓘ |
| influenced |
counterculture of the 1960s
ⓘ
subsequent confessional and performance poetry ⓘ |
| influencedBy |
Buddhism
ⓘ
Walt Whitman ⓘ William Blake ⓘ jazz improvisation ⓘ |
| language | English ⓘ |
| legalCaseResult | ruled not obscene ⓘ |
| legalImpact | expanded protection for literary free expression in the United States ⓘ |
| literaryMovement | Beat Generation ⓘ |
| meter | long-breath lines influenced by jazz rhythms ⓘ |
| notableFor |
critique of postwar American society
ⓘ
landmark obscenity trial in the United States ⓘ use of frank sexual and drug-related language ⓘ |
| placeOfFirstPublication | San Francisco ⓘ |
| publicationYear | 1956 ⓘ |
| publisher |
City Lights Publishers
ⓘ
surface form:
City Lights Books
|
| section |
Howl
self-linksurface differs
ⓘ
surface form:
Footnote to Howl
Part I ⓘ Part II ⓘ Part III ⓘ |
| setting | post–World War II America ⓘ |
| structure | three main sections and a footnote ⓘ |
| subjectOf |
"Howl" obscenity trial
ⓘ
surface form:
Howl obscenity trial
|
Referenced by (7)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
this entity surface form:
Howl and Other Poems
this entity surface form:
Howl and Other Poems