Howl is a sprawling piece of work by Allen Ginsberg that has numerous religious, historical, literary, and personal references that can lead readers to endlessly flip through encyclopedias, searching for a meaning in all the imagery. The first section addresses “the best minds of [his] generation” being “destroyed by madness” and then asks, “What caused this?” in the following. This portion of Howl shies away from Ginsberg’s personal relationships and leans more towards political references, seeking an answer to what “bashed open their skulls and ate up their brains and imagination.” Known for having “his own idiosyncratic version of communism,” Ginsberg could be a politically charged writer at times and it shows in this part of Howl as he throws capitalism in a bad light (Raskin 170). Allen Ginsberg’s exploration of what destroyed his friends’ minds shows his belief that capitalism is detrimental to society and people, by using it in a visually descriptive metaphor as Moloch, an industrial sphinx that oppresses people physically and mentally.
Firstly, it is important to keep in mind Ginsberg’s quote on his writing: “Since art is merely and ultimately self-expressive, we conclude that the fullest art, the most individual, uninfluenced, unrepressed, uninhibited expression of art is true expression and the true art” (Jamison and Eyerman 152). In terms of being “most individual, uninfluenced, unrepressed, [and] uninhibited,” it makes sense that part of this writing reads like the unfiltered inner workings and visions of a man hallucinogens, because he actually was inspired to write this section while hallucinating on peyote as stated in his own notes (Ginsberg and Hyde 81). Ginsberg sought to write the way he spoke and thought, sticking to short and simple sentences that had a beat to them (Miles 182). So when reading this section, the punctual and brief descriptions or single words that follow “Moloch!” should be constantly considered together as a summation. They should not be read as individual separate thoughts or ideas on Moloch; they are building blocks in Ginsberg’s mind forming a full picture.
Ginsberg opens with the question, “What… bashed open their skulls and ate up their brains and imagination?” and at first gives a clear answer: a “sphinx” made of “cement and aluminum” named “Moloch.” The word “Moloch” itself is immediately a displeasing word to say verbally and mentally, almost like a blunt curse word. Referencing the mythological sphinx creates an epic mental image that might even have readers think of the Great Sphinx of Giza. Ginsberg wants readers to picture a creature of biblical proportions and even names it after a Canaanite god, which served as a false idol that requires sacrifices. There is also a modern spin on this image though since it is made of cement and aluminum, products of the Industrial Revolution. Ginsberg even had in mind the image of the demonic “Moloch” from Fritz Lang’s Metropolis in his drug induced vision as he wrote this (Ginsberg 140).
Moloch is not literally a gigantic mechanical sphinx, but it serves as a great image for the associations Ginsberg brings to it. He immediately places, “Solitude! Filth! Ugliness” right after the first instance of “Moloch!” It is an extremely blunt way to put a displeasing and grimy image in the reader’s mind. Around this filth are “Ashcans and unobtainable dollars! Children screaming under the stairways! Boys sobbing in armies! Old men weeping in the parks!” The unobtainable dollars offers the possible image of a homeless or jobless person. Whether Ginsberg had a single mental image of children under the stairways, boys in armies, and old men in the park or a single character transition from a screaming child to a boy sobbing to an old man weeping, it is a grim and unhappy visual. The way Ginsberg punches these out like “Moloch this! And Moloch that!” feels like loud painful cries. While readers see, “Moloch! Moloch! Nightmare of Moloch!” they still do not fully know what Moloch represents.
Moloch is shaping up to be a metaphor for something political that brings about unhappiness to people now. An “incomprehensible prison,” “crossbone soulless jailhouse,” “Congress of sorrows,” “the vast stone of war,” and “the stunned governments.” If it still does not feel political to readers, Ginsberg starts to layer Moloch with human anatomical parts, which are then layered by very nonhuman and mechanical parts. It is “pure machinery…whose blood is running money…whose fingers are ten armies… whose breast is a cannibal dynamo…whose ear is a smoking tomb.” These human parts of Moloch are characterized by money, war, technology and death. Ginsberg also paints a breathing and living image of modern industry by giving Moloch “eyes [that] are a thousand blind windows… factories [that] dream and croak.” It’s a grand but unsettling and constantly unfolding image when the reader imagines all these pieces somehow extending and embodying the sphinx. With a “love” that “is endless oil and stone,” a “soul” that is “electricity and banks,” Moloch is a heartless and soulless machine; an oppressive and unforgiving system that Ginsberg calls capitalism (Ginsberg “The Art of Poetry No. 8”).
Things take a turn here though from all the capitalism metaphors when Ginsberg claims, “Moloch whose name is the Mind!” Ginsberg explores inward with Moloch, “in whom I sit lonely…in whom I dream Angels! Crazy in Moloch! Cocksucker in Moloch! Lacklove and manless in Moloch!” As if it were a mental illness that he has had since childhood, Ginsberg says Moloch “entered my soul early…in whom I am a consciousness without a body!” The system of Moloch has been affecting the character or Ginsberg for a long time and he cannot seem to shake it away as it is something he tries to “abandon” but then “wake[s] up” in again. It reads like a description of a mental illness that has embedded itself in Ginsberg’s brain.
In the final usage of the word “Moloch,” Ginsberg observes that the people in it’s system “broke their backs lifting Moloch to Heaven” without realizing that Heaven already “exists and is everywhere about us!” Capitalism is a lie to Ginsberg and has tricked people in praising it as if it were a false idol, thus the fitting name, “Moloch.” It has convinced people that it can take people to a better place by having them build “Robot apartments! invisible suburbs! skeleton treasuries! blind capitals! demonic industries! spectral nations! invincible madhouses! granite cocks! monstrous bombs!…Pavements, trees, radios, tons!” The irony is that the people do not realize that the materials and resources they use to lift capitalism up is part of the better world they already live in, creating a wasteland ruled by “Moloch.”
Once Ginsberg is done with the name of Moloch, the tone changes in the final stanzas to a positive one. Ginsberg lists some of the good things he sees in the world “gone down the American river” once he removes the repetitive blunt “Moloch” from the piece. It was as if the word itself was a dam preventing the “river” from flowing. Once Ginsberg writes without the metaphor for capitalism in the equation, he lists “Visions! omens! hallucinations! miracles! ecstasies!…Dreams! adorations! illuminations! religions!…Breakthroughs!…Epiphanies! Despairs!…New loves! Mad generation!…Real holy laughter…” Notice the change of the blunt repetitive “Moloch” to these short new exclamations that flow down the “river.” All the dark and gloomy imagery of Moloch has vanished into these colorful, esoteric, and spiritual ideas. Once Moloch is gone, the people who “saw it all…bade farewell” and run off with these new ideas “carrying flowers! Down to the river! into the street!” To Ginsberg, capitalism is something that affects society as a whole as well individuals. It is a system that “bashed open [the] skulls” of “the best minds of [his] generation” and “ate up their brains and imaginations.”
It can be hard to fully grasp and decipher what a Beat Generation writer is trying to express especially when they are high on Peyote and go through multiple changes in over five drafts (Ginsberg 140). However, given background context such as Ginsberg openly speaking about capitalism in letters and interviews and biographers such as Raskin and Miles divulging in his Communist beliefs, readers may be able to put together pieces of the puzzle (Ginsberg “The Art of Poetry No. 8). Considering the imagery of a large mechanical sphinx named after a false idol and how it causes things such as “Solitude!” and “Filth!” Ginsberg wants readers to have a dark and negative image of Moloch. As he adds political imagery and references that echo aspects of capitalism and a modern America, Moloch becomes a metaphor for the political system that Ginsberg believes is destroying society and the creative minds of his generation. However, once capitalism is removed from the equation, Ginsberg envisions a happier, more colorful and free world with a new “Mad generation” that has a “Real holy laughter.”
Works Cited
- Ginsberg, Allen. Howl: original draft facsimile, transcript & variant versions, fully annotated by author, with contemporaneous correspondence, account of first public reading, legal skirmishes, precursor texts & bibliography. New York: Harper & Row, 1986. Print.
- Ginsberg, Allen. “The Art of Poetry No. 8.” Interview by Thomas Clark. The Paris Review Spring 1966. The Paris Review Web. 2 May 2016.
- Ginsberg, Allen, and Lewis Hyde. On the Poetry of Allen Ginsberg. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, 1984. Print.
- Jamison, Andrew, and Ron Eyerman. Seeds of the Sixties. Berkeley: University of California, Print.
- Miles, Barry. Ginsberg: A Biography. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1989. Print.
- Raskin, Jonah. American Scream: Allen Ginsberg’s Howl and the Making of the Beat Generation. Berkeley: University of California, 2004. Print.
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I’m sure that most of you have read Allen Ginsberg’s poem, “Howl”, and if you haven’t, you should. It’s a sprawling piece of work that has many religious, historical, literary, and personal references. I’d like to take this opportunity to point out one reference in particular. I am glad to read about capitalism and Moloch in depth here. I use Fit My Money app to get the emergency loan especially when I feel short in money and have to do some research that required money.
The final section, “Howl and the Sirens”, is one of the most powerful in the book. In it, Ginsberg addresses Moloch, which he sees as an inhuman force that threatens to consume him. He begins by describing a vision of Moloch in which he sees a great black mass of people marching on him, each carrying a human head in his hand. Ginsberg then depicts this vision as an allegory for fame. Sources like https://www.careersbooster.com/our-services/cover-letter-writing/ can help you in getting the best cover letter writing services and being extra productive. Fame is seen as an addictive drug that leads people to commit suicide or murder others in order to gain more fame and popularity.
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In the opening section of “Howl,” Ginsberg reflects on the plight of his generation, the “best minds” who he believes have been ravaged by madness. He poses the question, “What caused this?” as he examines the factors contributing to their mental and emotional deterioration and visit https://collegeparkrotary.org/ site for college work there. This portion of the poem veers away from Ginsberg’s personal relationships and instead incorporates political references, seeking to understand the forces that have seemingly damaged and devoured the minds and imagination of his peers.
Reading Allen Ginsberg’s ‘Howl’ is an immersive experience that takes readers on a journey through a tapestry of religious, historical, literary, and personal references. It’s a captivating piece of work that delves into the destruction of the best minds of his generation and seeks to uncover the cause behind it. Ginsberg’s exploration of Moloch as a metaphor for capitalism is particularly striking.
The vivid imagery and relentless repetition of ‘Moloch!’ create a haunting and oppressive atmosphere. Ginsberg masterfully paints Moloch as a modern sphinx made of cement and aluminum, symbolizing the industrialization and dehumanization of society. The association of Moloch with concepts like solitude, filth, and ugliness further emphasizes the negative impact of capitalism on people’s lives.
As readers delve deeper into the poem, they witness the layers of Moloch’s influence on both the external world and the inner psyche. Ginsberg’s personal experiences and his belief in the destructive nature of capitalism shine through his powerful words. The imagery of a mental illness embedded in his soul, the consciousness without a body, and the struggle to escape Moloch’s grip all convey the profound impact of the system on his generation.
However, the poem takes a transformative turn when Ginsberg removes the repetitive presence of Moloch. In doing so, he opens up a space for visions, miracles, breakthroughs, and new loves. The river of creativity and spirituality flows freely, carrying people away from the oppressive influence of capitalism. Ginsberg’s optimism shines through as he envisions a world where the destructive forces of Moloch are replaced by laughter, freedom, and a new generation of seekers.
Ginsberg’s ‘Howl’ is a complex and thought-provoking work that invites readers to reflect on the societal and personal consequences of capitalism. It’s a powerful critique that challenges us to question the values and systems that shape our lives. Thank you for sharing this analysis and shedding light on the intricate layers of meaning within ‘Howl.’
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In the second section of Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl,” he explores the destructive forces that have affected his generation’s minds. Rather than focusing on personal relationships, this part delves into political references and seeks to understand what has caused the destruction of his peers’ sanity and creativity. Ginsberg, known for his idiosyncratic version of communism, presents capitalism in a negative light, using it as a metaphor for Moloch—an industrial sphinx that oppresses individuals both physically and mentally.
It is important to consider Ginsberg’s perspective on his writing process, as he believed that true art is an uninhibited expression of the self. This section of “Howl” reflects his individuality and unrestrained creativity. It bears the marks of his personal experiences, as he wrote it while under the influence of peyote, as mentioned in his own notes. Ginsberg aimed to capture the rhythm and cadence of his thoughts and speech in his writing, employing short and simple sentences.
When reading this section, it is crucial to approach the descriptions and words following “Moloch!” as interconnected and forming a complete picture. They should be viewed as building blocks in Ginsberg’s mind, collectively representing his vision rather than separate ideas. The fragmented and concise nature of the text contributes to the overall effect and message Ginsberg intends to convey.
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In this portion of “Howl,” Ginsberg shifts away from his personal relationships and instead incorporates political references. He seeks to understand the forces that have ravaged the minds and imagination of these individuals. Ginsberg, known for his unique interpretation of communism, often infused his writing with political undertones. In “Howl,” he specifically critiques capitalism, portraying it in a negative light and visit https://premier-essays.com/ site for premier essay there. It encourages readers to explore the layers of meaning embedded within the text and to consider the broader social and political context in which it was written.
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Dive deep into the swirling world of Ginsberg’s “Howl” Section II and what do you find? A fiery critique of capitalism, with the menacing shadow of Moloch symbolizing its choking grasp. The analysis doesn’t just stop at societal chains; it pirouettes through Ginsberg’s personal storms, spotlighting the poem as both a mirror to society and a window into his soul. It’s a rhythmic rollercoaster, oscillating between somber shades and hopeful hues, painting Ginsberg’s faith in a brighter tomorrow, even amidst the bleakness. And if you’re itching for more, why not journey back to the 1950s? That vibrant, tumultuous decade might just hold more clues to Ginsberg’s fiery muse!
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Ginsberg’s wild ride into the belly of capitalism through the “Moloch” metaphor in “Howl” is like a literary whirlwind. His unapologetically trippy style is a rebellious fist pump against the norm. With “Moloch,” he paints capitalism as this colossal beast, a monstrous Goliath crushing dreams. It’s like he’s tearing off capitalism’s mask and shouting, “Look at this beast we’re up against!”
His writing style takes you on this wild, almost like a cosmic rollercoaster ride through his convictions, a frenzied dance of ideas and emotions delving into societal dilemmas with unwavering passion. The metaphor of “Moloch” vividly portrays capitalism as an oppressive industrial force, echoing Ginsberg’s belief in its harmful effects. The way he links capitalism to an enduring mental ailment, as if it’s a fog blurring the world’s true beauty and causing suffering, is truly intriguing. But what’s truly arresting is how the mood transforms once he sheds the repetitive “Moloch,” shining a light on the potential for spiritual and creative blossoming when we break free from capitalism’s clutches. Smart Tech
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