Beat poetry and the twentieth century: Allen Ginsberg Haidee Kotze Beat poetry and the twentieth century: Allen Ginsberg Haidee Kotze B.A., B.A. Hons Dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Magister Artium in the Department of English at the Potchefstroorn-u-n-LvAr~itv fnr r.hri~ti::~n l-linh"' r Education I -_F'OTCHEFSTROOMSE UNIVEF:Sirt::n VIR CHO \I~:ttt:YH \'''"•:,¥} 1999 -04-2 1 ~~§.~}/ Supervisor: Mr. J.-L. Kruger Vanderbijlpark November 1998 Acknowledgements I would like to thank the following people and institutions: • My supervisor, Jan-Louis Kruger, for his expertise, empathy and constant support. • Edward, for his love, patience and motivation. • My parents and family, for their continued encouragement and involvement throughout my academic career. • Vernon, for his friendship and compassion. • All my friends, colleagues and lecturers whose interest in this study contributed to it in various ways. • San Geldenhuys, Lizette Marais, Yvonne Engelbrecht and Christelle Oosthuizen of the Ferdinand Postma Library (Vaal Triangle Campus), for their helpful, enthusiastic and prompt assistance. • The Centre for Science Development (HSRC South Africa), for financial assistance. Opinions expressed and conclusions arrived at are not necessarily to be attributed to the Centre for Science Development. • Sentrachem, for the additional financial support which made this study possible. Table of contents 1. Introduction: statement of problem, aims and methods ...... .. ................................. 1 1.1 Contextualisation and problem statement.. ....................................................... 1 1.2 Aims ................................................. .. .. ... ... ......................... ... .................... ...... 6 1.3 Thesis statement ... ... ................... .... .... ...... ..... .... ... .... .............................. .. .. ..... 7 1.4 Method .................. ........ ................................... .............................. .................. 7 1.5 Selection of texts ..... ............................... ..... ....................... ................. ............. 9 2. Background ..... .... ..... ......................................................................... ... ............... 11 2.1 Introduction ... .... ........ .. .. .. .......................... .. .. ...... .. .......... .. ............................. 11 2.2 The Beat Generation as literary and sociological movement ...... ... ................. 11 2.2.1 Beatness and the development of the movement. .................................... 13 2.2.2 Who are the Beats? ....... ... ............ .......................................... .......... .. ..... 17 2.2.3 The social context: culture and counterculture in post-war America ..... .. .. 19 2.2.4 The general characteristics of Beat writing ............................. ... ..... .. ........ 24 2.2.4.1 Spontaneity .. ............... .......... .. ... ... .. .................................. .... ..... ...... .. 25 2.2.4.2 The sanctity of individual experience ..................... ..... .. ...... .. ............ .. 28 2.2.4.3 Freedom of experience and expression .... ..... ...................... ......... ..... 31 2.2.4.4 Spirituality ..... .... ........ .. .. .... .. ....... ... .............. .. ... ... ....................... ........ 33 2.2.5 The literary context ... .. ... .... .... .... .. .. .. .. .. ............... ... ................ ..... .............. 37 2.2.6 A working definition of the Beat movement ........................... .. .... .......... ... 39 2.3 Modernism .................................................. ................................ ... ... .. ............ 41 2.3.1 Introduction .... .... ..... .. .... ...... .... ... ................. .. .. .... ..................................... 41 2.3.2 The term modernism ................................................... ........................... .. 41 2.3.3 The social perspective .......................... ... ... .. ...... .. .. ........................ .... ...... 43 2.3.4 The nature and development of the modernist movement .. .. .... .............. .. 45 2.3.5 Some general characteristics of modernism ..................................... ........ 48 2.3.6 A working definition of modernism ......... .................................. .. ............ ... 52 2.4 From modernism to postmodernism ............... ................................................ 53 2.4.1 Introduction .. .. ... .... .. .. .. .............. ... .. .... .... ... ............................................... 53 2.4.2 The term postmodernism .................. .. ............................ ............. ............ 55 2.4.3 Modernism and postmodernism .................. .. .. .... .. .......... ............ ............. 60 2.4.4 The development of postmodernism and its major manifestations ........... 67 2.4.5 The social perspective ............................................................ .................. 69 2.4.6 The concerns and features of postmodernism ......................................... 71 2.4.7 A working definition of postmodernism ... .. .. ...... ........................... ............. 74 Table of contents 1. Introduction: statement of problem, aims and methods ...... .. ................................. 1 1.1 Contextualisation and problem statement.. ....................................................... 1 1.2 Aims ................................................. .. .. ... ... ......................... ... .................... ...... 6 1.3 Thesis statement ... ... ................... .... .... ...... ..... .... ... .... .............................. .. .. ..... 7 1.4 Method .................. ........ ................................... .............................. .................. 7 1.5 Selection of texts ..... ............................... ..... ....................... ................. ............. 9 2. Background ..... .... ..... ......................................................................... ... ............... 11 2.1 Introduction ... .... ........ .. .. .. .......................... .. .. ...... .. .......... .. ............................. 11 2.2 The Beat Generation as literary and sociological movement ...... ... ................. 11 2.2.1 Beatness and the development of the movement. .................................... 13 2.2.2 Who are the Beats? ....... ... ............ .......................................... .......... .. ..... 17 2.2.3 The social context: culture and counterculture in post-war America ..... .. .. 19 2.2.4 The general characteristics of Beat writing ............................. ... ..... .. ........ 24 2.2.4.1 Spontaneity .. ............... .......... .. ... ... .. .................................. .... ..... ...... .. 25 2.2.4.2 The sanctity of individual experience ..................... ..... .. ...... .. ............ .. 28 2.2.4.3 Freedom of experience and expression .... ..... ...................... ......... ..... 31 2.2.4.4 Spirituality ..... .... ........ .. .. .... .. ....... ... .............. .. ... ... ....................... ........ 33 2.2.5 The literary context ... .. ... .... .... .... .. .. .. .. .. ............... ... ................ ..... .............. 37 2.2.6 A working definition of the Beat movement ........................... .. .... .......... ... 39 2.3 Modernism .................................................. ................................ ... ... .. ............ 41 2.3.1 Introduction .... .... ..... .. .... ...... .... ... ................. .. .. .... ..................................... 41 2.3.2 The term modernism ................................................... ........................... .. 41 2.3.3 The social perspective .......................... ... ... .. ...... .. .. ........................ .... ...... 43 2.3.4 The nature and development of the modernist movement .. .. .... .............. .. 45 2.3.5 Some general characteristics of modernism ..................................... ........ 48 2.3.6 A working definition of modernism ......... .................................. .. ............ ... 52 2.4 From modernism to postmodernism ............... ................................................ 53 2.4.1 Introduction .. .. ... .... .. .. .. .............. ... .. .... .... ... ............................................... 53 2.4.2 The term postmodernism .................. .. ............................ ............. ............ 55 2.4.3 Modernism and postmodernism .................. .. .. .... .. .......... ............ ............. 60 2.4.4 The development of postmodernism and its major manifestations ........... 67 2.4.5 The social perspective ............................................................ .................. 69 2.4.6 The concerns and features of postmodernism ......................................... 71 2.4.7 A working definition of postmodernism ... .. .. ...... ........................... ............. 74 2.5 In conclusion: some preliminary links ............................................................. 75 3. Modernism and the Beat poetry of Allen Ginsberg ... .... ........................................ 77 3.1 Introduction ................................. ....................................... ............................ 77 3.2 The reaction against modernist poetics .......................................................... 77 3.3 The integration of modernist poetics in the Beat poetry of Allen Ginsberg ...... 84 3.3.1 Imagism ....................