GINSBERG ONHOWL ENGLISH 371K Howlis an “affirmation” of individual experience of God, sex, drugs, absurdity, etc.Part I deals sympathetically with individual cases.Part II describes and rejects the Moloch of society which confounds and suppresses individual experience and forces the individual to consider himself mad if he does not reject his own deepest senses.Part III is an expression of sympathy and identification with C. S. who is in the madhouse—saying that his madness basically is rebellion against Moloch and I am with him, and extending my hand in union.This is an affirmative act of mercy and compassion, which are the basic emotions of the poem.The criticism of society is that “Society” is merciless.The alternative is private, individual acts of mercy.The poem is one such.It is therefore clearly and consciously built on aliberationof basic human virtues. —Allen Ginsberg to Richard Eberhart, May 18, 1956 AG: The problem is, where it gets to literature, is this.
