Allen Ginsberg was not the founder of the "Beat Generation" he was introduced to it by other greats, but he is one of the most famous and most respected poets of that period. He was introduced to the ideas when he was a freshman at Columbia University studying labor law. Ginsberg met a crowd of "wild souls" that included Lucien Carr, William S. Burroughs, Neal Cassady and Jack Kerouac. The crowd was a group of young philosophers who were all drawn to drugs, crime, sex and literature and were not afraid to speack their mind. While trying to get the most out of life, Ginsberg began a relationship with Neal Cassady and cruised the gay bars in Greenwich Village. He was suspended from Columbia and began experimenting with marijuana and Benzedrine.
The friendships he made at Columbia would open many more doors for the poet and even lead to Ginsberg becoming one of the most influential artists of his time. However, Ginsberg spen more time promoting the works of Kerouac and Burroughs instead of his own. Although Kerouac would become famous after publishing "On The Road" in 1957, Ginsberg was actually the first Beat poet to gain propularity. In a now legendary Six Gallery poetry reading in October, 1955, Ginsberg delivered an intense reading of Howl. This reading would send Ginsberg, as well as other Beat poets, into the spotlight. Ginsberg used his poetry and popularity to voice objections toward governments, the Vietnam War, the mistreatment of gays and many more issues of the 60s.
Although Howl was a major step for Ginsberg it was not received with open arms by all critics. Many critics felt the work was negative and destructive. Ginsberg argued that it was a realization of love and it was expressed in his terms. Thirty years after the critics rejected Howl , many of the same critics recanted their initial reviews. The work now stands as one of the most popular and most moving poems of that period. During the 1960s Ginsberg joined the hippie movement and gained the respect of artists such as Bob Dylan. Dylan often said Ginsberg was one of a few literary figures he could tolerate. Ginsberg also associated himself with Timothy Leary, who had discovered the psychedelic drug LSD. Together Ginsberg and Leary would help to make the drug part of mainstream America, while Ginsberg continually remained active in protest and poetry.
Ginsberg is still active today in protests, poetry readings and enriching the minds of the young. In 1974 Ginsberg wrote Ego Confession which lets the reader see into his soul as well as glimpse at what he wanted to accomplish.
I want to be known ass the most brilliant man in AmericaIntroduced to Gyalwa Karmapa heir of the Whispered Transmission Crazy Wisdom Practice Lineage
as the secret young wise man who visited him and winked anonymously decade ago in Gangtok
Prepared the way for Dharma in America without mentioning Dharma--scribbled laughter
Who saw Blake and abandoned God.
http://www.uccs.edu/~kmfreckl/ginsberg.html
