Blog #4 Topic #1

“Howl” by Allen Ginsberg depicts a society of rebellion during the 1950’s in the style of the “beat generation.” The “Revolutionary Letters” by Diane DiPrima are almost notes of how one goes about starting and partaking in a revolution. To say that these letters could be a response to Ginsberg’s “Howl” would be accurate because of the processes DiPrima provides are seen in “Howl.” The kind of response which DiPrima requires is that for those who don’t have anything they may use their voices and own self to obtain anything which they desire. In Ginsberg’s poem, they do just that though we never get a clear picture what it is they strive for.

            In “Howl I” Ginsberg paints a visual of the country how so many people who seem to be in a depressive state. In one line “who ate fire in paint hotels or drank turpentine…with dreams, with drugs, with walking nightmares, alcohol and cock and endless balls,” a vulgar statement but, what Ginsberg shows is how the people are reacting to the world. In the time of World War II and an era of capitalism made everyone edgy and fearful, thus distrust would arise in the nation. Later Ginsberg writes what appears to be people being arrested for protesting in a subway, “distributed Supercommunist pamphlets,” and “shrieked with delight in policecars for committing no crime.” These acts of rebellion could be what DiPrima tries to establish in her poem “Revolutionary Letters,” in all these acts that Ginsberg tells not once does it mention any murder or such. In “Revolutionary Letter #7” DiPrima states that carrying a weapon like a gun or knife is not a good idea, as “all swords are two-edged, can be used against you.”  The letter inputs more information for those trying to bring light to any injustice in a manner that won’t cost your life or wellbeing.

            As for the response DiPrima’s poems are a manual for rebellion, but leaves a lasting thought in “Revolutionary Letter #19.” The thought of getting what you ask for thus DiPrima states to ask for everything. This is a bit vague but deep down makes a lot of sense, why just stop at getting say a few rights, why not get complete equality. In Ginsberg’s “Howl” there no dialogue and any sort of demanding requests are metaphorically speaking. In some cases, Ginsberg calls them crazy in a sense, in one line “who demanded sanity trials accusing the radio of hypnotism” which at first glance is another way of saying crazy. However, during the 1950’s with the war going on many people were paranoid that the government and such were trying to get complete control of the nation. This could be a way for the rebels to ask, like DiPrima advocates, for all the answers from the government.

            The two poems play off each other, in that the “Revolutionary Letters” take what was happening during the riots of “Howl” and put into an instruction guide. The ideas of both are similar, DiPrima just goes the extra mile in refining the idea of revolution and inserts more grounds and precautions.