Literature · 2
What famous poet wrote 'Howl,' published in 1956?
Answer
Allen Ginsberg
Allen Ginsberg published 'Howl' in 1956, a confessional and prophetic long poem that became the defining work of the Beat Generation. The poem's raw, unflinching exploration of madness, materialism, homosexuality, and spiritual alienation challenged American conformity and conventional poetic forms. 'Howl' shocked readers with its explicit language and graphic imagery, leading to an obscenity trial that ultimately reaffirmed First Amendment protections for literary works. Ginsberg's powerful use of extended lines, biblical cadences, and visceral imagery created a new poetic vocabulary for expressing countercultural dissent. The poem's opening line—'I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked'—became one of American literature's most iconic statements of generational critique.
💡 Did you know?
Allen Ginsberg's 'Howl' opens with the famous line 'I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked.'
Other options people guess
- Gregory Corso
- Lawrence Ferlinghetti
- Jack Kerouac
Topics
- poetry
- modern-lit
- authors
- Beat-Generation
- American-lit
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