Sunflower Sutra Essay
Caleb Lahoud
17101999
Introduction to the Beats
Semester Essay
Topic: 2
Allen Ginsberg is one of the most important and accomplished writers and poets of the beat generation. With works such as Howl being said to have ignited the Renaissance of modern poetry in America, Ginsberg distinguishes a style and voice that has been made concrete in the history of American culture and literature. While Howl can be said be a work that encapsulates and forms the philosophical and theoretical paradigm of the voice of the beat generation. Other works of his, such as Sunflower Sutra and A Supermarket in California voice various ideas of the beats in a more specific and direct manner. This essay will focus specifically on the themes of crisis and recovery of the figurative and literal condition of the American landscape, the romanticised ideologies of its past, its present corruption and the tethered yet enduring intrinsic value that it possesses. This will be done by drawing on a close analysis of Sunflower Sutra and then by a discussion of how these themes are portrayed in A Supermarket in California. Constant reference to Howl, the philosophical ideologies that it encompasses and the context in which it was written will be made in order to further emphasise a greater understanding of the said themes.
The beat generation, mainly represented in the 1950’s, was a generation largely influenced and shaped by the events and occurrences that took place during and after World War 2. It was an era when capitalism and industrialisation was fast growing and people were disillusioned by the inhumane and shocking events that had occurred. This brought many aspects of everyday life and social norms into question. The beat generation in many ways offered an alternative answer to these questions. They rebelled from the fast growing trends in conservative American culture and society. They adopted more liberal ideologies and were
17101999
Introduction to the Beats
Semester Essay
Topic: 2
Allen Ginsberg is one of the most important and accomplished writers and poets of the beat generation. With works such as Howl being said to have ignited the Renaissance of modern poetry in America, Ginsberg distinguishes a style and voice that has been made concrete in the history of American culture and literature. While Howl can be said be a work that encapsulates and forms the philosophical and theoretical paradigm of the voice of the beat generation. Other works of his, such as Sunflower Sutra and A Supermarket in California voice various ideas of the beats in a more specific and direct manner. This essay will focus specifically on the themes of crisis and recovery of the figurative and literal condition of the American landscape, the romanticised ideologies of its past, its present corruption and the tethered yet enduring intrinsic value that it possesses. This will be done by drawing on a close analysis of Sunflower Sutra and then by a discussion of how these themes are portrayed in A Supermarket in California. Constant reference to Howl, the philosophical ideologies that it encompasses and the context in which it was written will be made in order to further emphasise a greater understanding of the said themes.
The beat generation, mainly represented in the 1950’s, was a generation largely influenced and shaped by the events and occurrences that took place during and after World War 2. It was an era when capitalism and industrialisation was fast growing and people were disillusioned by the inhumane and shocking events that had occurred. This brought many aspects of everyday life and social norms into question. The beat generation in many ways offered an alternative answer to these questions. They rebelled from the fast growing trends in conservative American culture and society. They adopted more liberal ideologies and were
Bibliography: Ginsberg, Allen. Howl and other poems. Vol. 1. San Francisco: City Light Books, 1956. Davis, Lane. Chazelle, Damien ed. "Allen Ginsberg 's Poetry Study Guide : Summary and Analysis of "Sunflower Sutra"". GradeSaver, 31 December 2009 Web. http://www.gradesaver.com/allen-ginsbergs-poetry/study-guide/section8/ 31 October 2013 Davis, Lane. Chazelle, Damien ed. "Allen Ginsberg 's Poetry Study Guide : Summary and Analysis of "A Supermarket in California"". GradeSaver, 31 December 2009 Web. http://www.gradesaver.com/allen-ginsbergs-poetry/study-guide/section7/ 31 October 2013.