Allen Ginsberg Howl

According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, the word “howl” can be defined as “to cry out loudly and without restraint under strong impulse” (“howl”). Rather befittingly, Allen Ginsberg chose this word as the title for his poem “Howl,” perhaps due to the fact that it is a rallying cry for individual enlightenment and the fight against oppression. The poem itself lacks constraint and speaks matter-of-factly, taking no heed to comply with social standards of the time. In reality, Ginsberg’s poem is a howl, for it cries out for everyone to hear, without any regard and fueled by a passion for change. Due to this, Ginsberg purposely instills a constant repetition of words, and this repetition instills a sense that what he is arguing is both urgent and important. For example, Ginsberg’s constant
Finally, the repetition of “Moloch” reiterates the fact that Moloch, a term that refers to an idea that is all-encompassing, is ominous and perhaps damaging to individuals. However, when it comes to what Moloch specifically refers to, readers can assume that it represents society itself. This is implied by lines such as, “Moloch the incomprehensible prison!” (“Howl”) and “Moloch in whom I sit lonely!” (“Howl”), arguing that society traps individuals, “brainwashing” most and prevents the escape of those who are enlightened. Perhaps this focus on society’s oppression is why Ginsberg chose to divide the poem into specific parts in order to address two individual topics and separately address how they intertwine with each other. Specifically, section I refers to experiences of individuals throughout the country, describing everyday actions of countless people, while section II refers to the society in which these individuals belong and exposes how it’s terrible and