Thurley, Geoffrey. "Allen Ginsberg: The Whole Man In." The American Moment: American Poetry in the Mid-Century (1977). St. Martin's Press, 1978. 172-186. Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism Select. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Literature Resource Center. Web. 8 May 2013.
In “Allen Ginsberg: The Whole Man In,” Geoffery Thurley examines the meter and vocabulary of Ginsberg’s poetry, paying specific attention to ‘Howl.’ While previous poets had measured their lines in syllables or accents, Ginsberg measured his verse in breaths. By creating a more natural flow, Ginsberg’s vulgar poetry brought out the voice of the American people. He provides accessibility through false realism but cannot sustain interest when his breath runs out. Ultimately, the meter provides a novel style that draws the reader into the fantastic realities presented, but those realities, Thurley posits, fail to convey meaning.
An important aspect of American Populism is the stylistic use of linguistic anomalies. This speech, often associated with the under-educated, frequently obscures the intellectual merit of Populist poetry. In “Howl,” Thurley says that Ginsberg is able to, “merge the rhetorical voice of American populist tradition with a passionate, personal intelligence and wit.” His style conveys the true voice of an American citizen, and this magnetism draws an audience. Beat poetry is somewhat of a rebellion from earlier styles, but it is not the only attempt to write poetry in pattens that mirror daily speech. As Thurley writes, “There have been attempts to return poetry to a so-called conversational tone or speech-tone before… in Marvell, Herbert and Donne.” It is clear that 1920s poetry—influenced by historic circumstances such as WWI—provided the background for Ginsberg to break out of traditional Romantic style and form his own meter to accurately represent the American voice.
Ginsberg marks his poetry by breath and this provides a relation from the reader to the text; everyone breathes, everyone can feel the natural rhythm. Writing in what appears to be plain speech also provides accessibility. The combination of these two stylistic devices creates a sense of realism, yet Thurley criticizes Ginsberg for employing them, saying, “It is a question not of `real' speech and artifice, but of different kinds of artifice.” Ginsberg’s poetry is not, in fact, any more realistic than that written in other styles. All poetry is a type of artifice, Thurley states, for the very reason that the work is not prose. Poets consciously use stylistic devices to convey meaning, just as Ginsberg uses plain speech and breathing rhythms to convey his version of reality. Ginsberg’s realistic style, however false, is so effective because it is accessible to a wide audience. However, the same style that engages his readers hinders the momentum of the poem.
The tone of “Howl” eventually becomes that of a preacher gasping for wind from a pulpit, painting pictures of divine dreams to an unimpressed audience. Thurley states that, “What Ginsberg's poetry lacks is sustained tension and rhythmic drive, and this doesn't seem unrelated to the vein of fantasy eclecticism that he so often taps.” Ginsberg summons specters for his audience but fails to do anything more than present the images in front of them. He rants endlessly about society, yet fails to produce any similar reaction in his audience. Ginsberg’s style limits the communication of the great emotion that he appears to be overcome with. It provides a sense of realism to the audience to help connect the content of the poem to the real world, yet fails to infect the reader with the same excited rebelliousness that Ginsberg is overcome with. The author does effectively draw readers into the poem at its genesis through understandable and familiar vocabulary and speech patterns, but cannot provide reason for sustained interest as the poem goes on.
An important aspect of American Populism is the stylistic use of linguistic anomalies. This speech, often associated with the under-educated, frequently obscures the intellectual merit of Populist poetry. In “Howl,” Thurley says that Ginsberg is able to, “merge the rhetorical voice of American populist tradition with a passionate, personal intelligence and wit.” His style conveys the true voice of an American citizen, and this magnetism draws an audience. Beat poetry is somewhat of a rebellion from earlier styles, but it is not the only attempt to write poetry in pattens that mirror daily speech. As Thurley writes, “There have been attempts to return poetry to a so-called conversational tone or speech-tone before… in Marvell, Herbert and Donne.” It is clear that 1920s poetry—influenced by historic circumstances such as WWI—provided the background for Ginsberg to break out of traditional Romantic style and form his own meter to accurately represent the American voice.
Ginsberg marks his poetry by breath and this provides a relation from the reader to the text; everyone breathes, everyone can feel the natural rhythm. Writing in what appears to be plain speech also provides accessibility. The combination of these two stylistic devices creates a sense of realism, yet Thurley criticizes Ginsberg for employing them, saying, “It is a question not of `real' speech and artifice, but of different kinds of artifice.” Ginsberg’s poetry is not, in fact, any more realistic than that written in other styles. All poetry is a type of artifice, Thurley states, for the very reason that the work is not prose. Poets consciously use stylistic devices to convey meaning, just as Ginsberg uses plain speech and breathing rhythms to convey his version of reality. Ginsberg’s realistic style, however false, is so effective because it is accessible to a wide audience. However, the same style that engages his readers hinders the momentum of the poem.
The tone of “Howl” eventually becomes that of a preacher gasping for wind from a pulpit, painting pictures of divine dreams to an unimpressed audience. Thurley states that, “What Ginsberg's poetry lacks is sustained tension and rhythmic drive, and this doesn't seem unrelated to the vein of fantasy eclecticism that he so often taps.” Ginsberg summons specters for his audience but fails to do anything more than present the images in front of them. He rants endlessly about society, yet fails to produce any similar reaction in his audience. Ginsberg’s style limits the communication of the great emotion that he appears to be overcome with. It provides a sense of realism to the audience to help connect the content of the poem to the real world, yet fails to infect the reader with the same excited rebelliousness that Ginsberg is overcome with. The author does effectively draw readers into the poem at its genesis through understandable and familiar vocabulary and speech patterns, but cannot provide reason for sustained interest as the poem goes on.
written by Sarah Kuxhausen