Summary of Howl - Grade: A PDF

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Summary of Howl...

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Evelynn Shanks December, 2, 2017 ENG 2360.009 Summary of “Howl” by Allen Ginsberg “Howl” is a poem written by Allen Ginsberg that describes untraditional human experiences and how they are also beautiful. The first line of the poem, “I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked,” sets the tone for the rest of the work where Ginsberg calls out to those who have experienced their own definition of God. The poem is split into three parts. All three parts tie into the central theme of compassion and spirituality. In part one of “Howl”, Ginsberg uses specific descriptions of different ways that people have experienced God. He talks about people using drugs to feel God, or homeless people surrounding a trashcan fire. He also describes experiences that seem mundane, such as living in the same city your entire life and dying there, identifying that these also have a connection to God. In part two, Ginsberg describes the “Moloch” of society. Moloch is a reference to Molech who was a fire god who required intense personal sacrifice from the book of Leviticus in the Bible. Ginsberg uses this legend as a symbol for aspects of modern society that oppress individualism. He identifies banks, money, and skyscrapers as “Moloch”. Ginsberg then goes on to renounce “Moloch” and urges people to do the same. In part three Ginsberg calls to the man whom the entire poem is dedicated to, Carl Solomon. Carl Solomon was Ginsberg’s friend while they both were receiving mental health treatment in Rockland. Part three repeats the phrase “I’m with you in Rockland”, which solidifies the theme of compassion as well as unity....