Howl

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1956

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Summary

Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Anaphora

Anaphora is the repetition of words and/or phrases at the beginning of subsequent verses, lines, or stanzas of poetry. This rhetorical device adds emphasis to the poem, placing explicit meaning on the repeating words or phrases. In “Howl,” Ginsberg repeats “who” in Part 1 to emphasize that he’s referring to “the best minds of [his] generation” (Line 1). In Part 2, he repeatedly uses Moloch—with exclamation points—to add emphasis, while Part 3 repeats the phrase “I am with you in Rockland,” and Part 4 repeats “Holy!” Because “Howl” is in free verse and each part is one run-on sentence, these anaphoric devices can also appear as refrains. While anaphora successively occurs at the beginning of verses, refrains typically come at the end of stanzas or at natural breaks in a poem. Like anaphora, refrains heighten emphasis and meaning by repeating phrases. Because there are no natural breaks in Part 3, for instance, “I am with you in Rockland” is both anaphora and a refrain.

Cataloguing

Cataloguing is a technique where the writer employs lists—sometimes long ones—for varying reasons. Especially in contemporary poetry, some poems might consist of a short list whose parts speak to a larger truth. Examples include shopping lists that, though seemingly mundane, might tell more about the narrator’s internal struggles. A list of diet foods, where cookies are scratched out, can convey humor or pathos about the commitment to dieting fads. Other uses include standard cataloguing, like Bible names explaining who begat who to paint a larger picture of one person’s lineage. This type of cataloguing happens in epic literature as well, with knights and households listed to show pedigree and repute.

In “Howl,” Ginsberg catalogues not only the people he considers “the best minds of [his] generation” (Line 1), but the ways in which society “destroyed” (Line 1) these people. Cataloguing here adds truth to Ginsberg’s claims and confirms him as the narrator of the poem, as well. He adds a personal stake to the poem by cataloguing the ills he personally witnessed.

Free Verse

Free verse is verse without rhyme or meter. It’s an open form of poetry unconstrained by traditional poetic conventions. Free verse can be a better way to express meaning without worrying about giving precedence to strict (or closed) poetry forms. If one wants to write a 14-line sonnet in iambic pentameter, the meaning might get lost in adherence to rhyme and meter rules (a common critique of closed poetry). On the other hand, detractors of free verse believe the form allows for “low” poetry, or poetry without skill. Free verse is often confused with blank verse, or poetry that doesn’t rhyme but that still utilizes meter.

In “Howl,” Ginsberg employs run-on sentences in free verse to mimic his manic mental state; each part of the poem is a single, long, run-on sentence. For Ginsberg and other Beat poets, free verse symbolizes a way of expressing truth without the false trappings of form—something the Beats accused New Criticism poets of doing. Beat poetry is often accused of opening the gates (or smashing them in) for all manner of “low” poetry that doesn’t adhere to traditional literary devices like rhyme and meter.

Parataxis

Parataxis is the use of dissimilar words or objects in a comparison. It’s a form of juxtaposition that makes use of short, independent clauses without subordinating conjunctions. The use of parataxis can create a jolting effect, as words stand out due to their association with other words that don’t logically connect. An example of parataxis is “submarine light” (Line 15) and “grandfather night” (Line 23), both of which appear in Part 1 of “Howl.” Submarines aren’t usually associated with light, and grandfather and night sound like an illogical pairing. Ginsberg’s use of paratactic syntax forces readers to make their own meaning from word groupings. It also highlights Ginsberg’s belief in “First Thought, Best Thought”—a Beat slogan suggesting that the mind derives important meaning from whatever associations flow when writing, speaking, or deciphering words.