A look at Allen Ginsberg and the Beat Generation.

Essay by godzeus101University, Bachelor'sA-, October 2003

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The Beat Generation was one of the first groups of the 20th century to come out of the norm in traditional literature and set a precedent for future writers. Allen Ginsberg was a great influence in the revolution in writing known as the Beat Generation. Allen Ginsberg was born on June 3rd, 1926 in Newark, New Jersey. His father, Louis, who was a schoolteacher and also a poet who was known for this word play, must have influenced Ginsberg in his career choice. Ginsberg's mother was a radical communist who praised and idolized Stalin. This eccentric life style led by his might also explain why Ginsberg took such an innovative method in his writings ("Allen Ginsberg").

Ginsberg has shown interest in speaking out against current issues since he was 15 years old. At that age, he wrote letters to newspapers such as The New York Times, in regards to several different political issues.

This shows an interest that Ginsberg has in making controversy an everyday word in his life ("Colombia").

Upon being accepted in Columbia University, Ginsberg met many of the individuals that later transformed his career. It was only after meeting these individuals that Ginsberg decided to change his major from Pre-law to Literature. Some of these individuals were Lucien Carr, David Kammerer, William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac. Ginsberg was recognized in college by professors Mark Van Doren and Lionel Trilling as being an amazing writer. During his stay at the university, Ginsberg was greatly influenced by writers such as William Blake, Walt Whitman and William Carlos Williams. Unfortunately, Ginsberg is expelled from Columbia University in the spring of 1945 for allowing his dear friend Jack Kerouac to sleep in his dorm room. He then starts to feel disillusioned with academic entities. Ginsberg's life starts to take...