MAPACA

Mid-Atlantic Popular &
American Culture Association

On April 6th, 1997, the New York Times published Allen Ginsberg’s obituary with the headline “Allen Ginsberg, Master Poet of Beat Generation, Dies at 70”¹. On January 9th, 2014, the New York Times published Amiri Baraka’s obituary with the headline “Amiri Baraka, Polarizing Poet and Playwright, Dies at 79”². Ginsberg is the soul of the Beat Generation, while Baraka is its breaking point. During the late fifties and early sixties Baraka and Ginsberg were colleagues and friends, writing about America and American society. They used poetry to share and defend their opinions on racism, war, and religion. Through a melding of similar colloquialisms, symbolism, and obscenities Ginsberg and Baraka used language to fight their own wars. However, Ginsberg is considered an American icon while Baraka is rarely discussed. By focusing on the language used in their writing, this paper compares Ginsberg and Baraka’s poetry, predominantly Ginsberg’s “America” and Baraka’s “Black Art.” Through their specific uses of language, both poets speak freely about their frustration with America. The ideas presented by Ginsberg and Baraka and the language they use is still relevant to the state of our country today. Why is Ginsberg recognized and well known while Baraka continues to be a dark horse in the shadows? Through a close analysis of Ginsberg’s and Baraka’s poetry, the conclusion that the paper offers is that literary scholars need to recognize Baraka as an equal of Ginsberg because of their shared themes, styles, and language.