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Poems for the Nation: A Collection of Contemporary Political Poems
Throughout the last year and a half of his life, Allen Ginsberg phoned many of his poet friends to ask if they had any social verses opposing America's rightwing drift or otherwise speaking their current political minds. This volume presents the perceptive and visionary poems that Ginsberg collected (with selections based on his notes), and also includes writings from contributors to "Planet News," an historic tribute to Allen Ginsberg that was held at New York City's St. John the Divine Cathedral in May 1998.
- GenresPoetry
80 pages, Paperback
First published December 15, 1999
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About the author
Allen Ginsberg
489 books4,090 followersAllen Ginsberg was a groundbreaking American poet and activist best known for his central role in the Beat Generation and for writing the landmark poem Howl. Born in 1926 in Newark, New Jersey, to Jewish parents, Ginsberg grew up in a household shaped by both intellectualism and psychological struggle. His father, Louis Ginsberg, was a published poet and a schoolteacher, while his mother, Naomi, suffered from severe mental illness, which deeply affected Ginsberg and later influenced his writing—most notably in his poem Kaddish.
As a young man, Ginsberg attended Columbia University, where he befriended other future Beat luminaries such as Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs, and Neal Cassady. These relationships formed the core of what became known as the Beat Generation—a loose-knit group of writers and artists who rejected mainstream American values in favor of personal liberation, spontaneity, spiritual exploration, and radical politics.
Ginsberg rose to national prominence in 1956 with the publication of Howl and Other Poems, released by City Lights Books in San Francisco. Howl, an emotionally charged and stylistically experimental poem, offered an unfiltered vision of America’s underbelly. It included candid references to homosexuality, drug use, and mental illness—subjects considered taboo at the time. The poem led to an obscenity trial, which ultimately concluded in Ginsberg’s favor, setting a precedent for freedom of speech in literature.
His work consistently challenged social norms and addressed themes of personal freedom, sexual identity, spirituality, and political dissent. Ginsberg was openly gay at a time when homosexuality was still criminalized in much of the United States, and he became a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights throughout his life. His poetry often intertwined the personal with the political, blending confessional intimacy with a broader critique of American society.
Beyond his literary achievements, Ginsberg was also a dedicated activist. He protested against the Vietnam War, nuclear proliferation, and later, U.S. foreign policy in Latin America. He was present at many pivotal cultural and political moments of the 1960s and 1970s, including the 1968 Democratic National Convention and various countercultural gatherings. His spiritual journey led him to Buddhism, which deeply influenced his writing and worldview. He studied under Tibetan teacher Chögyam Trungpa and helped establish the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado.
Ginsberg’s later years were marked by continued literary output and collaborations with musicians such as Bob Dylan and The Clash. His poetry collections, including Reality Sandwiches, Planet News, and The Fall of America, were widely read and respected. He received numerous honors for his work, including the National Book Award for Poetry in 1974.
He died of liver cancer in 1997 at the age of 70. Today, Allen Ginsberg is remembered not only as a pioneering poet, but also as a courageous voice for free expression, social justice, and spiritual inquiry. His influence on American literature and culture remains profound and enduring.
As a young man, Ginsberg attended Columbia University, where he befriended other future Beat luminaries such as Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs, and Neal Cassady. These relationships formed the core of what became known as the Beat Generation—a loose-knit group of writers and artists who rejected mainstream American values in favor of personal liberation, spontaneity, spiritual exploration, and radical politics.
Ginsberg rose to national prominence in 1956 with the publication of Howl and Other Poems, released by City Lights Books in San Francisco. Howl, an emotionally charged and stylistically experimental poem, offered an unfiltered vision of America’s underbelly. It included candid references to homosexuality, drug use, and mental illness—subjects considered taboo at the time. The poem led to an obscenity trial, which ultimately concluded in Ginsberg’s favor, setting a precedent for freedom of speech in literature.
His work consistently challenged social norms and addressed themes of personal freedom, sexual identity, spirituality, and political dissent. Ginsberg was openly gay at a time when homosexuality was still criminalized in much of the United States, and he became a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights throughout his life. His poetry often intertwined the personal with the political, blending confessional intimacy with a broader critique of American society.
Beyond his literary achievements, Ginsberg was also a dedicated activist. He protested against the Vietnam War, nuclear proliferation, and later, U.S. foreign policy in Latin America. He was present at many pivotal cultural and political moments of the 1960s and 1970s, including the 1968 Democratic National Convention and various countercultural gatherings. His spiritual journey led him to Buddhism, which deeply influenced his writing and worldview. He studied under Tibetan teacher Chögyam Trungpa and helped establish the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado.
Ginsberg’s later years were marked by continued literary output and collaborations with musicians such as Bob Dylan and The Clash. His poetry collections, including Reality Sandwiches, Planet News, and The Fall of America, were widely read and respected. He received numerous honors for his work, including the National Book Award for Poetry in 1974.
He died of liver cancer in 1997 at the age of 70. Today, Allen Ginsberg is remembered not only as a pioneering poet, but also as a courageous voice for free expression, social justice, and spiritual inquiry. His influence on American literature and culture remains profound and enduring.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 3, 2009
I was sitting at Taste of India, reading these poetries, when all of the sudden, I turned the page to find Dinosaur Love!!!! Oh Rexy! How did you die? I don't know E.Katz. I woke up one day and wasn't there!!!!
I tried to remember Ray's reading voice from the backyard. I tried to recreate Ray's reading voice in the kitchen. UNsuccessful. I read to Bret Ginsberg's solution for building a new democracy. Articulation of thoughts and actions, yes. Getting secret agencies off our backs!
There was one poem about terrorism. And all of the things the US has done that constitute acts of terrorism. Democracy Now said there are 1 million names on the US's possible terrorist list. At what point does it become apparent that these words no longer mean anything? At what point does it become apparent that because these words no longer mean anything, that they never could? Drummed up.
There was a poem about eating the stars. About the mountains being made by god for skiing. And the forests being made by god for golf courses, So much so that one day the kids suggest that they can eat the stars. It would be nice to eat the stars in a magical kind of way. Not in an ownership kind of way.
There was a poem about operation. Operation this and that. It was strong. Some of the poems, I liked because they went on and on. Very listing. Very much like, here's a problem we made, here's another problem we made, here's another. And on and on....
Yikes it's November.
I tried to remember Ray's reading voice from the backyard. I tried to recreate Ray's reading voice in the kitchen. UNsuccessful. I read to Bret Ginsberg's solution for building a new democracy. Articulation of thoughts and actions, yes. Getting secret agencies off our backs!
There was one poem about terrorism. And all of the things the US has done that constitute acts of terrorism. Democracy Now said there are 1 million names on the US's possible terrorist list. At what point does it become apparent that these words no longer mean anything? At what point does it become apparent that because these words no longer mean anything, that they never could? Drummed up.
There was a poem about eating the stars. About the mountains being made by god for skiing. And the forests being made by god for golf courses, So much so that one day the kids suggest that they can eat the stars. It would be nice to eat the stars in a magical kind of way. Not in an ownership kind of way.
There was a poem about operation. Operation this and that. It was strong. Some of the poems, I liked because they went on and on. Very listing. Very much like, here's a problem we made, here's another problem we made, here's another. And on and on....
Yikes it's November.
November 6, 2024
I think AG would think rating a collection was a waste of time. There's nothing "bad" about there being something that doesn't reach you.
Just about a quarter century out, these are too relevant, too timely, and yet, rallying.
Just about a quarter century out, these are too relevant, too timely, and yet, rallying.
April 4, 2024
3.5 stars. Half war protest collection (that is just as relevant today), half memorial for Ginsberg crafted shortly after his death.
October 11, 2008
The two best:
Down To Earth Suite by Carl Rakosi
&
In Honor Of The Persian Gulf War by Nanao Sakai
Sakai's:
Before robbery
There was ownership.
Before ownership
There were things.
Before things
There was nothing.
Before nothing
There was robbery.
Down To Earth Suite by Carl Rakosi
&
In Honor Of The Persian Gulf War by Nanao Sakai
Sakai's:
Before robbery
There was ownership.
Before ownership
There were things.
Before things
There was nothing.
Before nothing
There was robbery.
June 5, 2009
Some good poems, really like Antler and plan to buy one of his books soon...
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews