Analysis on Allen Ginsberg’s “America”

“America” by Allen Ginsberg was written in a very trying time, right after World War II and at the beginning of the Cold War. This was a time of controversy and taking a stand for personal beliefs, and Ginsberg did just that. Although America has been known by many as “the best country” and the country most accepting of other ethnicities, Allen Ginsberg shows that Americans are not all accepting and as good as many people believe. America, just like every country has had its problems and flaws, leading to many people being angry or upset with their nation. Ginsberg, by irregular meter, scattered and spontaneous thoughts, roller coaster emotions, and personified countries, shows the dark side of America and Americans, specifically focusing on international relations, racial unrest, and personal problems. Ginsberg’s style in this poem is very scattered and spontaneous. This poem is not very traditional in the fact that it is not written with a rhyme scheme, meter, or much of a rhythm at all. The spontaneity of this poem shows that Ginsberg simply started writing and let his true emotions come out. The stanzas are all different lengths, seventeen, twelve, ten, nine, and seven, backing up the spontaneity and scattered emotion throughout the poem. The speaker jumps from addressing America in line 1 “America I’ve given you all and now I’m nothing,” to realizing that he is America and shares many of the same issues in lines 49-50, “It occurs to me that I am America / I am talking to myself again.” Ginsberg first thought he was addressing America and the problems of the country and its people, but while talking, the speaker realizes that he has many of the same problems the rest of the Americans have, many of which he was complaining about. However, the emotion of this poem flows and builds, with anger rising, diminishing, and rising again. Ginsberg’s use of explicit language illustrates his anger as in the line, “America when will we end the human war? / Go fuck yourself

Cited: "Cold War 1945-1960." Funfront.net. Web. 09 Dec. 2011. . "Allen Ginsberg 's Life." Welcome to English « Department of English, College of LAS, University of Illinois. Web. 08 Nov. 2011. .