The poem Howl by Allen Ginsberg was written in a highly peculiar period of the Beat Generation. The latter was comprised of a number of authors who reevaluated the established norms of society and adhered to non-conformism. Allen himself was highly opposed to repression, exploitation, and capitalism because he perceived these as the key issue of modernity. The poet states that the best minds of his generation were not able to live outside the system by not following the rules, and thus, they became poor drug addicts (Ginsberg 134). Howl is an outcry against the social problems that do not allow individuals with outstanding reasoning to become invaluable members of society. The structure of the poem possesses features, such as run-on sentences and the open form, which are specifically designed to go against the norms of poetry. Run-on sentences indicate Allen’s attitude towards the rules of proper sentence writing, which is why the poem is unique.
In the case of the movie, there are three critical elements, such as animation, Ginsberg’s speaking, and the trial. The trial involves an extensive analysis of the poem in the context of appropriateness as a piece of literary work. The animation helps to illustrate the meaning and provide a visual demonstration of the writing, whereas Ginsberg’s narration is essential to understand the source of the ideas and become familiar with the author’s thoughts. The film is constructed in such a way that it does not tell the story in a linear fashion but rather jumps between the trial, Ginsberg’s early life, and the debut days (Howl). This structure allows people to explore the poet’s development in more detail, which helps the viewers to understand his early days and the impact after his death.
Works Cited
Ginsberg, Allen. Howl and Other Poems. City Lights Publishers, 1959.
Howl. Directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, performance by James Franco, Oscilloscope Laboratories, 2010.