"Howl" by Allen Ginsberg

When I first read the poem "Howl" by Allen Ginsberg , I was a bit surprised at how complicated the poem seemed , and I'm not even sure if I have interpreted it correctly. It did not compare to any of the poems we have read so far for this class, but having variety and something different for change is actually quite good and pleasant for the mind.


What first comes to mine is the setting, it seems as though it is taking places in a specific era(s) and changing up, the "Negro streets" comment made me think that this might have taken place around the time that white and blacks were not united and there was a bit of segregation still taking place. Where a lot of people seemed to be engaged in similar things, going through life everyday and waking up to the same addictions and searches. The era seems to change up a little bit when the author starts mentioning Hipsters and Jazz music. It seems as though the era is taking place sometime in the 40's-50's.

The mention of drugs kind of puts you in that mindset that this poem revolves around that. It seemed that it was the time where hipsters would smoke all day long and waste their days away and did whatever made them happy, but the poem doesn't seem so happy. Maybe the drugs were a part of them because their lives have been hell? Maybe there was nothing else to search for through their various hardships, that drugs became a part of their life because of their struggles. It seems as though a lot of them did not have a real place they could call "Home." They might have had a place to stay but Home isn't something they would have called it, especially when the author makes it seem like a very dark and scary place to be.


I'm not really sure of how else to interpret this piece of writing, but the struggles and hardships shine through more than anything else. Drugs, alcohol and all of the other substances people can do was probably a big way to "escape" from reality and maybe feel things were better for a little moment.