IrwinAllenGinsberg(pronounced/ˈɡɪnzbərɡ/;June3,1926–April5,1997)wasanAmericanpoetwhovigorouslyopposedmilitarism,materialismandsexualrepression.Inthe1950s,GinsbergwasaleadingfigureoftheBeatGeneration,ananarchicgroupofyoungmenandwomenwhojoinedpoetry,song,sex,wineandillicitdrugswithpassionatepoliticalideasthatchampionedpersonalfreedoms.[1]Ginsberg'sepicpoem"Howl",in...(展开全部) IrwinAllenGinsberg(pronounced/ˈɡɪnzbərɡ/;June3,1926–April5,1997)wasanAmericanpoetwhovigorouslyopposedmilitarism,materialismandsexualrepression.Inthe1950s,GinsbergwasaleadingfigureoftheBeatGeneration,ananarchicgroupofyoungmenandwomenwhojoinedpoetry,song,sex,wineandillicitdrugswithpassionatepoliticalideasthatchampionedpersonalfreedoms.[1]Ginsberg'sepicpoem"Howl",inwhichhecelebrateshisfellow"angel-headedhipsters"andexcoriateswhathesawasthedestructiveforcesofcapitalismandconformityintheUnitedStates,isoneoftheclassicpoemsoftheBeatGeneration[2]Thepoem,dedicatedtowriterCarlSolomon,hastheopening: Isawthebestmindsofmygenerationdestroyedby madness,starvinghystericalnaked, draggingthemselvesthroughthenegrostreetsatdawn lookingforanangryfix...[3] InOctober1955,GinsbergandfiveotherunknownpoetsgaveafreereadingatanexperimentalartgalleryinSanFrancisco.Ginsberg's"Howl"electrifiedtheaudience.AccordingtofellowpoetMichaelMcClure,itwasclear"thatabarrierhadbeenbroken,thatahumanvoiceandbodyhadbeenhurledagainsttheharshwallofAmericaanditssupportingarmiesandnaviesandacademiesandinstitutionsandownershipsystemsandpowersupportbases."[4]In1957,"Howl"attractedwidespreadpublicitywhenitbecamethesubjectofanobscenitytrialinwhichaSanFranciscoprosecutorargueditcontained"filthy,vulgar,obscene,anddisgustinglanguage."Thepoemseemedespeciallyoutrageousin1950sAmericabecauseitdepictedbothheterosexualandhomosexualsex[5]atatimewhensodomylawsmadehomosexualactsacrimeineveryU.S.state."Howl"reflectedGinsberg'sownbisexualityandhishomosexualrelationshipswithanumberofmen,includingPeterOrlovsky,hislifelongpartner.[6]JudgeClaytonW.Hornruledthat"Howl"wasnotobscene,adding,"Wouldtherebeanyfreedomofpressorspeechifonemustreducehisvocabularytovapidinnocuouseuphemisms?"[7] In"Howl"andinhisotherpoetry,Ginsbergdrewinspirationfromtheepic,freeversestyleofthe19thcenturyAmericanpoetWaltWhitman.Bothwrotepassionatelyaboutthepromise(andbetrayal)ofAmericandemocracy;thecentralimportanceoferoticexperience;andthespiritualquestforthetruthofeverydayexistence.[8]J.D.McClatchy,editoroftheYaleReviewcalledGinsberg"thebest-knownAmericanpoetofhisgeneration,asmuchasocialforceasaliteraryphenomenon."McClatchyaddedthatGinsberg,likeWhitman,"wasabardintheoldmanner–outsized,darklyprophetic,partexuberance,partprayer,partrant.Hisworkisfinallyahistoryofourera'spsyche,withallitscontradictoryurges."[9] GinsbergwasapracticingBuddhistwhostudiedEasternreligiousdisciplinesextensively.OneofhismostinfluentialteacherswastheTibetanBuddhist,theVenerableChögyamTrungpa,founderoftheNaropaInstitute,nowNaropaUniversityatBoulder,Colorado.[10]AtTrungpa'surging,GinsbergandpoetAnneWaldmanstartedapoetryschooltherein1974whichtheycalledthe"JackKerouacSchoolofDisembodiedPoetics".[11]InspiteofhisattractiontoEasternreligions,thejournalistJaneKramerarguesthatGinsberg,likeWhitman,adheredtoan"Americanbrandofmysticism"thatwas,inherwords,"rootedinhumanismandinaromanticandvisionaryidealofharmonyamongmen."[12]Ginsberg'spoliticalactivismwasconsistentwithhisreligiousbeliefs.Hetookpartindecadesofnon-violentpoliticalprotestagainsteverythingfromtheVietnamWartotheWaronDrugs.[13]Theliterarycritic,HelenVendler,describedGinsbergas"tirelesslypersistentinprotestingcensorship,imperialpolitics,andpersecutionofthepowerless."[14]Hisachievementsasawriteraswellashisnotorietyasanactivistgainedhimhonorsfromestablishedinstitutions.Ginsberg'sbookofpoems,TheFallofAmerica,wontheNationalBookAwardforpoetryin1974.OtherhonorsincludedtheNationalArtsClubgoldmedalandhisinductionintotheAmericanAcademyandInstituteofArtsandLetters,bothin1979.[15]In1995,GinsbergwonaPulitzerPrizeforhisbook,CosmopolitanGreetings:Poems1986–1992.[16]
