According to Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry, “Moloch is the ancient pagan God of child sacrifice.” He was a false god that Israel would worship during its period of apostasy, and one of their practices in the cult was to sacrifice their children (CARM). I believe Ginsberg uses Moloch to portray the society of America during this time period, and his anger that comes with these social issues. However, he decided to portray society as Moloch when and his partner took peyote and started hallucinating and named the monster he was seeing Moloch, which was supposed to portray social oppression (Howl Film).
What sphinx of cement and aluminum bashed open their skulls and ate up their brains and imagination?
According to the Guardians Sphinx, the sphinx that Ginsberg refers to is the ancient Egyptian sphinx, which symbolized strength and wisdom. I believe he is using the sphinx as the strength of society to open up to the audience that the intellect of his peers is suffocated and belittled by social standards.
Moloch the loveless! Mental Moloch! Moloch the heavy judger of men!
I believe Ginsberg is trying to express his feelings of suffocation in society and loneliness because of how society views him. However, this line could also relate to his views of capitalism and the immoral power of the government during this time.
Moloch the vast stone of war! Moloch the stunned governments!
In this line I believe Ginsberg is attempting to call out the society or more directly towards to the entire American government system in their false moral compass. He is trying to get a point across to the audience that they do not act or react in the best interest of the people’s hopes and dreams, but in other words of the best interest of the government or wealth of the country.
Moloch whose eyes are a thousand blind windows!
This is potentially one of the best lines in this poem because of the different ways the reader can portray his goals in this line. Although there are many different ways to believe what he means. After watching the Howl documentary film, I believe he is trying to connect the buildings he was seeing in his hallucinations to the way society views his peers to contribute to the countries primary goal, which is the attainment of wealth.
Moloch whose skyscrapers stand in the long streets like endless Jehovahs!
Although this line directly correlates with the line that talks about the “thousand blind windows.” I believe when he was talking about the skyscrapers standing in the long streets connects to two things. First, I feel as if he’s trying to portray how capitalism and big industries are so powerful and big and how he feels so little. The Jehovah’s could potentially connect to how society expects them to contribute and pressure his generation to become businessmen. After watching the film this line could be in reference to his father and how his father wants him to be something that he’s not.
Moloch whose love is endless oil and stone! Moloch whose soul is electricity and banks! Moloch whose poverty is the specter of genius.
Ginsberg is trying to reference how society is based on the wealth and capitalism which is based around our primary industries such as oil, electricity, and banks. When he states that poverty is the specter of genius I believe he is trying to say that the government is responsible for poverty in America and the so called genius in society.
Moloch in whom I sit lonely!
Here Ginsberg is trying to get sympathy from the audience by expressing how he is lonely in the American society and feels like he can’t overcome the power and pressure that comes with it.
Crazy in Moloch! Cocksucker in Moloch! Lacklove and manless in Moloch!
This is where I believe Ginsberg really begins to rant and shout out his feelings to the audience. Here is trying to let the audience know how he feels and how he is viewed in the eyes of society during this time period, such as crazy, a cocksucker, and manless in society.
Moloch who frightened me out of my natural ecstasy! Moloch whom I abandon! Wake up in Moloch! Light streaming out of the sky!
Ginsberg is trying to express how it feels to grow up as an American child during this time period. He expresses how he was branded by capitalism, industries, and in a way patriotism at an early age. Here he begins to feel a bit of imprisonment in society because he cannot fight it. Therefore, he potentially could be referencing to another social issue by saying the social oppression during this time is why he and his peers turn to alcohol, drugs, and violence to steer away from their issues.
This is the heart of section two in this poem, because this is where the poem turns from feeling lonely and to expressing anger and sort of hatred towards these social and political issues in America. However, this is when political issues really begin to be attacked by Ginsberg.
They broke their backs lifting Moloch to Heaven!
During the time this poem was written, American had won the World War II, were winning the space race, were experiencing a civil rights movement, and were the leaders in the world’s best economy. Ginsberg is trying to express here how important his generation is to the future of these accomplishments and innovations. However, social oppression and false moral compass of the government has torn apart his generation and the generations to come. He is trying to say here that they broke their backs in reference to the future generations trying to get America to the superpower they are.
Visions! omens! hallucinations! miracles! ecstasies! gone down the American river!
Ginsberg begins to accomplish is overall goal here at the end of section two by explaining to the reader how the American dream has gone down the drain. People’s hopes, dreams, and visions for their life or careers are just thrown down the river because they cannot control Moloch.
Dreams! adorations! illuminations! religions! the whole boatload of sensitive bullshit! Breakthroughs! over the river! flips and crucifixions! gone down the flood!
This is another stab at the political and social belief that everything American was built on and the accomplishments they’ve had compared to other countries in the world are just thrown overboard and gone down the flood.
Real holy laughter in the river! They saw it all! the wild eyes! the holy yells! They bade farewell! They jumped off the roof! to solitude! waving! carrying flowers! Down to the river! into the street!
Ginsberg uses excellent imagery in this passage that truly has to be dissected in pieces. In the first line of this passage he is trying to express the “holy laughter” as people who have been drove insane by society, but uses the holy in the sentence to express how their farewell is holy because their fight is now over and their struggles are over. Then he jumps right in to calling out “Moloch” by saying they saw it all. Society just sat back and watched the people go crazy, and struggle, and destruct from the oppression. Social oppression is the cause for some of the best minds of his generation dying and ‘bidding farewell’.
destroying the best minds
Although this is the first line in section one of this poem I thought it would be necessary to connect it to section two. Primarily, because I believe Ginsberg is not just trying to express his own personal feelings but how he knows his peers feel. This poem is so important for the American people to read because it explains how he watched some of the greatest and smartest people he knew destroyed by this oppression that society embarks on children at a such an early age. Also, it potentially holds the government and society responsible for the deaths of people who could have better our country in many ways. He is not just speaking for himself, he is speaking for all of the wrong that exists in America. Hoping that the audience or whoever reads this poem is inspired, finds comfort, and in hopes for a potential change for America in the future.