Position:Home>Books & Authors> How is Allen Ginsberg postmodern?

Well, first lets establish the commonly excepted time frames!. It can be generally accepted that Post-Modernism really took hold during the 1950s, and is a response to the society that was created after the two world wars!. In fact, a lot of people think that the world wars caused a 'psychotic break' in the societal psyche of the world!. There were, officially, no limits to anything anymore!. But what's important is that we can agree that during the 1950's Post-Modernism became the major movement!. Knowing that we can generally determine that anyone who started writing after or wrote the majority of their work after 1950 is a post-modernist!. That's one point, a general point on why he's always considered a post-modernism!. (The second really general one is that The Beat Movement is covered under the umbrella of postmodernism, but hopefully I'll explain that later!.)

More specifically, let's discuss the common trends of Post-Modern Literature!. 1) there is a strong emphasis on the uncertainty of everything, 2) closely related, all truth is relative, there is no one absolute right, 3) Fragmentation is a good thing (modernists avoided this), 4) Pluralism became a big thing, more voices were encouraged/wanted, and the voice of the minority is as important as that of the majority, 5) The paradoxes in literature, the difference between what is said and what is meant, reveal more than the actual message, 6) Art is art, there is no high or low art anymore - it's all valid, very experimental and non traditional styles are preferred, 7) Boarder between art and reality disappears, the Simulacrum is omni-present!.

That's kind of quick I suppose, but I trust you'll have no issues with any of those concepts!. Let's look at Howl, the first section!. It's his master work, and exemplifies Beat, and Post-Modernism very well!.

First, it's very self-referential!. He's writing about his friends, his world, what he knows, and not trying to make this fit into the greater whole of society and in fact is encouraging the seperation of his world from other people's worlds!. Points 2,3, and 4 from above are represented there!.

Second, you can look at his style and witness points 1, 6, & 7 manifest!. "I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by
madness, starving hysterical naked, !.!.!. with the absolute heart of the poem of life butchered
out of their own bodies good to eat a thousand
years!."
Those are the very first and last lines of the first section of Howl, notice how they form a complete thought!? Experiment and you'll see this is consistent throughout!. It's experimental, it's fragmented, it's playing on the concept of truth, etc!.

You could probably go on by yourself and take this much further!.

But eventually you'll run into a question that I want to address before I totally run out of steam!. After looking at them, and applying these 7 common characteristics you'll notice that few of them fit in with modernism very nicely, and some in realism and naturalism!. And you'll be right! This is what makes post-modernism such a hot topic of debate ("Does Post-Modernism even exist!?" That's often joked to be the quintessential post-modern question!.)!. The resolve lays in a weaselly phrase, "Post-Modernism is at once a reaction to, and continuation of Modernism!." The main differences are the lack of separation of art into high and low (Modernists wrote for an academic audience, Post-modernists write for everyone - that's the common observation), the emphasis on fragmentation (Good vs Bad), and the view of truth (fixed or relative)!. Post-modernism is right now (though, in my opinion phasing out rapidly), so a good rule of thumb is that if you can easily relate to it, if it seems like something you may have observed or said, it's probably post-modern!.

I think I may have wandered!. I'm tired, but if you are still confused please email me!. I'll be more than happy to explain further if you need me to!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Ginsberg is postmodern in the way he captured the sensibilities of the beat generation!. He used his style to evoke his drugged-up, zonked-out, surreal, urban, rebellious, and disillusioned circle of friends and the society that they created/lived throughWww@QuestionHome@Com

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no idea!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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