Ginsberg - A Study of the Footnote to Howl
A Brief Look at the Final Part of the Beat Writers Apocalyptic Poem
May 23, 2009
Footnote to Howl begins with fifteen exclamations of "Holy!" The rhythm is similar to that of part II with the exclamations of "Moloch!". In Studies of Dylan Thomas, Allen Ginsberg, Sylvia Plath and Robert Lowell (Macmillan, 1979, isbn:0333273966), Louis Simpson explains this section as Ginsberg’s dedication to his mother who died in a mental institute, quoting him as saying "it says I loved her anyway and that even in worst conditions life is holy".
Everything is Holy
The best minds of his generation "destroyed by madness" in Part I are also holy and the receivers of a new and better world. This poem is a Blakean affirmation of "Everything that lives is holy". Ginsberg writes that "The bum’s as holy as the seraphim!" Just like the "madman bum and angel" we were previously shown, here we have another pair of contrasting experiences. The "bum" is as holy as God's celestial angel the "seraphim".
Even the "solitudes of skyscrapers and pavements" are now holy, the manmade constructions that had previously been described as horrors; "Moloch whose skyscrapers stand in the long streets like endless Jehovas!" There has been a resolution of the demonic to the holy. The poem shows victory over the fallen civilisation. "Holy the supernatural extra brilliant intelligent kindness of the soul!" It shows the belief that the problems in civilisation can be overcome by the few that are kind of heart.
Personal Experiences
Howl reveals a lot about Ginsberg personally. He uses his life experiences, such as his time in a psychiatric institute, the friendships he has made, the religions he has studied and the inspirations he has come across. Throughout the poem he manages to include a variety of experiences to create the ultimate tale of loss overcome by divinity.
Simpson writes that Howl depended on "the personal, the confessional, the excessive and volatile". Ginsberg expresses his own truths and in doing so expresses not only his own personality but the problems of American society. He also writes that Ginsberg shows "an account of his spiritual development" and that he is "speaking for the multitudes".
The "multitudes" helped propel the publicity of "Howl", which grew due to the censorship battle that took place because of it, earning it a reputation and provoking peoples interest. "Howl" shows Ginsberg's understanding of other people and the suffering that they go through.
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