Howl By William Ginsberg

Howl: American Realities
Poetry is considered to be one of the most complex, yet beautiful, forms of literary expression. Multiple aspects of poetry have shifted throughout history – such as style, vocabulary and form. Countless well known poets have each left their mark on history. Such poets include William Shakespeare, Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson and Edgar Allan Poe. Although, no matter the time period in which each poet existed or their individual writing style, all have one thing in common. They all use poetry to express their inner thoughts and feelings that cannot be directly said. Poetry is utilized to express emotions, opinions, criticisms, fears, dreams and life stories. In his poem “Howl,” Allen Ginsberg persuades his audience
Majority of the lines in part two begin with “Moloch” as each sentence ends with an exclamation mark. Ginsberg angrily calls out to Moloch as if it’s an actual person. In part two, Moloch is one “whose mind is pure machinery! Moloch whose blood is running money! Moloch whose fingers are ten armies! Moloch whose breast is a cannibal dynamo! Moloch whose ear is a smoking tomb!” (Ginsberg line 83). If American government, capitalism and institutions possesses human like qualities, Ginsberg describes what its characteristics would be like. He expresses that America is like a well-oiled machine, with no sentiments or consideration for others, who simply repeats itself over and over again. Like a machine, authorities and government are not concerned with its people's emotions. Decisions are made based upon their own success and profits. Government and power authorities are the ones who conflict war; including with its own people. They conduct such actions that are in their own favor despite the consequences that the rest of society will endure. Moloch is ultimately “responsible for all of America’s woes: its materialism, indifference, ignorance, brutality [and] sexual repression” (Horvath par 4). They’re metaphorically a "cannibal dynamo" that chews up its common people and leaves them suffering in their own grave. Ginsberg puts the concept of Moloch into a creative and visual perspective that shows the reader the destructiveness of the 1950’s government, capitalism and