Whitman's Song of Myself and Ginsberg's Howl - Essay Example

Compare/contrast Whitman’s Song of Myself with Ginsberg’s Howl American poetry unlike other nations’ poetry is still in the nascent stage because ofthe absence of a history in comparison to other nations’ poetry humming with matured voices. Nevertheless, in the past century, American poetry has got the recognition it deserves from the creative poetic compositions of Walt Whitman, who has been called “the father of American poetry.” His dynamic style and uncommon content is well exhibited in his famous poem “Song of Myself,” giving a direction to the American writers of posterity. In addition, his distinct use of the line and breath has had a huge impression on the compositions of a number of poets, especially on the works of the present-day poet Allen Ginsberg, whose debatable poem “Howl” reverberates with the traits of Whitman’s poetry. Nevertheless, while the form and content of “Howl” may have been impressed by “Song of Myself,” Ginsberg’s poem expresses a change from Whitman’s use of the line, his first-person recital, and his vision of America. As Whitman’s seamless lines are open-ended, speaking the voice of a universal speaker presenting a positive outlook of America, Ginsberg’s poem, on the contrary, uses long lines that end inward to present the uneasiness and madness that feature the vision of America that Ginsberg exhibits through the voice of a prophetic speaker. Comparing Whitman’s “Song of Myself” with Ginsberg’s “Howl”, both poets’ use of line is similar – long free verse line. It was not a popular trend when Ginsberg wrote “Howl” but he used it purposely, taking the inspiration from Whitman poetry. See the long line in Whitman’s verse, “Speeding through space,…speeding through heaven and stars, […] storming enjoying planning loving cautioning,/ Backing and filling, appearing and disappearing,” (Whitman 60). Ginsberg creates the same impression by using the present and past participle forms more often: “…smoking in the supernatural darkness of cold-water flats floating across the tops of cities contemplating jazz,… “(Ginsberg 49), “…bickering with the echoes of the soul, rocking and rolling in the midnight solitude-bench…” (Ginsberg 53). Such formations of the words by both the poets add to the feeling of flexibility and freedom from the limitations of time and space in their poems. This is the leading trait and similarity of the respective ‘catalogues’ of both “Song of Myself” and “Howl” (Moritz 6). The element of similarity is evident not only in the form but content and style as well (Monforton par. 2). Whitman’s speaker speaks in the voice of first person. Comparing Ginsberg with Whitman, he is possessed by Whitman who uses the personal pronoun ‘I’ more often, culminating in the hug between the body and soul, town and country, sexuality and spirituality, and science and mysticism – all-pervasive but Whitman’s ‘I’ is not completely identified in the absence of ‘you,’ who is not real; it is the imaginative audience of Whitman, which differentiates the poetry of Whitman, as he says, “You shall not look through my eyes either, nor take things from me,’ you shall listen to all sides and filter them from yourself,” (Whitman 26). The self of Whitman is all-encompassing; it absorbs all activities rural or urban. There is a unity in all diverse ‘items’ of the self and in the self. Ginsberg uses the same device in “Howl” to pay his tribute and as a parody of Whitman. He projects this self in the very first line: “I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness starving hysterical naked,” (Ginsberg 49). Ginsberg’s ‘I’ wanders the United States unlike Whitman’s ‘I’. America of Whitman is full of endless diversity. Ginsberg also names all diverse places but for namesake; there is no deep involvement. On the contrary, there is nothing distinct in the diversity of “roaring winter dusks of Brooklyn” (Ginsberg 49) as the part of the American urban “madtown” (Ginsberg 53), which is similar to the “diner backyards” and the “moviehouses’ rickety rows” of Denver (Ginsberg 51). Ginsberg’s “Howl” presents a contrast to Whitman’s “Song of Myself” by totally ignoring rural environment whereas the self of Whitman welcomes both the town and country. “Howl” of Ginsberg lacks the diversity as if it has been eaten away by the Moloch of Part II. Relation of the self is not similar to the surroundings in Ginsberg’s “Howl”, as it is of Whitman’s. Whitman’s self is active but Ginsberg’s self is passive, as it does not connect to the surroundings. Only once it shows a connection to the outside world by identifying with a gathering of “angel-headed hipsters” (Ginsberg 49) (Moritz 7-8). Speaking about Whitman’s vision of America, Whitman focused on the spiritual vision that Americans should carry forward for posterity. Walt Whitman’s line in Section 51 of “Song of Myself”, “I am large, I contain multitudes” (Whitman 45) reflects his poem as well. It shows the working of a mind in changed degree of consciousness, indicating his personal involvement in the politics of 1840s. Allen Ginsberg, the twentieth century poet, was a curious reader of “Song of Myself”. His individual approach to Whitman was determined by the socio-political happenings of his time and his desires getting reflected in his poem, “Howl” composed in 1955 (Moritz 2). Whitman’s vision of America reveals truth, which cannot be obstructed in any way, as it is all-pervasive but on the other hand “Howl” pictures America by creating walls of division between the “holy […] hideous human angels” (Ginsberg 57) and different opposing elements compacted into the central image of ‘moloch’ in Part II: ”Moloch whose mind is pure machinery! Moloch whose blood is running money! Moloch whose fingers are ten enemies...Moloch whose ear is a smoking tomb!” (Ginsberg 54). Ginsberg attacks the conservative concepts of ‘holiness’, redefines them and befits them on such people who are new to American life by mid-fifties or concurrent standards whom Whitman states to be social outsiders in “Song of Myself”. In Whitman’s view a prostitute could be equal to the President in the catalogue passage of Section 15 (Whitman 39) but in “Howl” the possibility for spiritual attainment resides specifically for the have-nots. Ginsberg contrasts with Whitman who employs scientific imagery deeply in “Song of Myself” with Ginsberg’s ‘denying spirit’ expressed in scientific and technological terms such as “sphinx of cement and aluminum”, “factories”, Moloch whose soul is electricity…”, Moloch whose fate is a cloud of sexless hydrogen!” (Ginsberg 54) while such words used by Whitman as ‘electricity’, ‘energy’, vacuum,’ and ‘atoms’ add a positive tone to the meaning. It is because Whitman attempts to find metaphysics through idealistic philosophies (Moritz 8-9). Both the poets have exhibited limited similarity when it comes to the use of line, as Whitman’s lines connect to the outer sphere, while Ginsberg’s lines are inwardly. The self of Whitman is all-encompassing but Ginsberg’s self is passive, lacking diversity by excluding rural settings. In short, Ginsberg’s Howl” is a journey through a different route to reality by leaving the doubts behind and taking the lead role of a public American poet-prophet, which Whitman only dreamt of in his life by composing poetry for an imagined audience. Works Cited Ginsberg, Allen. Selected Poems 1947-1995. London: Penguin, 1997. Monforton, Nicole. “Whitman and Ginsberg”. Weblog entry. Blogos. 1 December 2010. 2 May 2012 . Moritz, Michael. Walt Whitman and Allen Ginsberg: Singing and Howling their American Selves. Diss. University College Dublin, 2002. Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass. 1885 Ed. Malcolm Cowley. Penguin: New York, 1996. Read More