Howl

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1956

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Related Poems

"A Supermarket in California" by Allen Ginsberg (1956)

“A Supermarket in California” is another famous poem by Ginsberg and much shorter than “Howl,” though with abundant similarity in writing style and flow. In the poem, Ginsberg walks into a market lit by artificial light at night and sees Walt Whitman, his literary forefather, cruising the aisles. “A Supermarket in California” continues themes of visions, longing, desire, and legacy from “Howl.”

"Kaddish" by Allen Ginsberg (1957-1959)

Ginsberg wrote “Kaddish” for his mother, Naomi (1894-1956), who died institutionalized in Greystone Hospital. Kaddish is the Jewish prayer for mourning, and a remembrance for the dead. The poem addresses both Naomi’s mental illness and Ginsberg’s experiences dealing with his mother’s illness and institutionalization.

"The Canticle of Jack Kerouac" by Lawrence Ferlinghetti (March-April 1987)

Lawrence Ferlinghetti was the co-owner of the now-legendary San Franciscan City Lights Bookstore, the publisher of “Howl,” and a central figure for many Beat writers. Ferlinghetti was also a poet, playwright, and activist. This poem gives another glimpse into the lives of the Beat poets by someone other than Ginsberg, and its subject is a writer (and lover) close to Ginsberg’s own heart. It’s also written decades after the height of the Beat Movement, providing a retroactive look into the time.

"The Waste Land" by T.S. Eliot (1922)

T.S. Eliot was a central figure in modernism. Where “Howl” symbolizes Beat poetry, “The Waste Land” symbolizes modernist poetry. “The Waste Land” also shares an insistence on apocalyptic themes, as well as investigating morality and humanity in the presence of greater, oppressive forces. And like Ginsberg’s “Howl,” Eliot’s poem eventually pivots by affirming that humankind can indeed rise above death and destruction.

Further Literary Resources

"An Introduction to the Beat Poets" by Poetry Foundation

Poetry Foundation provides a well-rounded introduction to the Beat poets and the generation they inspired. It includes authorial, socio-historical, and literary analysis of the movement, as well as work from key writers who shaped he movement’s trajectory.

"Reader Discretion Advised" by Claire Luchette (2018)

Claire Luchette’s essay tackles both profanity in poetry and the thematic issues like the sublime that interact with the “profane.” Both Ginsberg and Eliot get mentions, with “Howl” and Ferlinghetti’s arrest over publishing the poem. The essay not only investigates profanity but why the public is squeamish about the topic. It comically works as a “warning” and as metafiction in that profanity appears throughout the essay.

I Greet You at the Beginning of a Great Career by City Lights Bookstore (2015)

This book documents the correspondence between Allen Ginsberg and Lawrence Ferlinghetti—writer and publisher—for much of their working relationship. It includes both letters and pictures, providing an intimate glimpse into their private and professional lives and the influential sphere they inhabited.

On the Road by Jack Kerouac (2018)

On the Road is the 2018 reprint of Jack Kerouac’s (in)famous novel. On the Road: The Original Scroll is the uncut version of Kerouac’s heavily edited version published in 1957, offering Kerouac’s salient and frenetic vision. The first draft was a single-spaced paragraph on eight typed sheets of tracing paper. Kerouac later taped together the pages to create a 120-foot-long scroll. On the Road is an exemplary work of Beat fiction and details life on the road while searching for meaning.

Listen to Poem

Allen Ginsberg reads his poem “Howl” (1956)

This is the first recording of Allen Ginsberg reading “Howl” in 1956 at Portland’s Reed College. The recording purportedly sat unnoticed for over 50 years before being rediscovered (Jones, Josh. “The First Recording of Allen Ginsberg Reading ‘Howl’ (1956).” Open Culture, 12 June 2013. Accessed 28 July 2021.)

James Franco reads from Part 3 of “Howl” (2010)

This is a scene from the movie Howl (2010), starring James Franco as Allen Ginsberg. Franco reads from Part 3 of “Howl,” mimicking Ginsberg’s frenzied, manic state while reading the poem in an intimate communal setting.