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Howl and Other Poems
A beat movement icon and visionary poet, Allen Ginsberg broke boundaries with his fearless, pyrotechnic verse. The apocalyptic "Howl" became the subject of an obscenity trial when it was first published in 1956 -- its vindication was a watershed moment in twentieth-century history. Dark, ecstatic and rhapsodic, "Howl" shows why Ginsberg was one of the most influential poets of the twentieth century.
Howl and Other Poems is a collection of Ginsberg's finest work, including "Howl," one of the principal works of the Beat Generation as well as "A Supermarket in California," "Transcription of Organ Music," "Sunflower Sutra," "America," "In the Baggage Room at Greyhound," and some of his earlier works.
Howl and Other Poems is a collection of Ginsberg's finest work, including "Howl," one of the principal works of the Beat Generation as well as "A Supermarket in California," "Transcription of Organ Music," "Sunflower Sutra," "America," "In the Baggage Room at Greyhound," and some of his earlier works.
56 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1956
About the author
Allen Ginsberg
548 books4,240 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 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 4, 2025
Ae, mrš.
Read
February 11, 2024Konečně dočteno. Po šesti měsících. Netuším co si myslím. Je to silné, je to syrové, je to upřímné. A je to bordel. Nebylo to naposledy co tuhle sbírku čtu, stálo to za to a vyvolalo to mnoho emocí
May 15, 2026
ok takze jsem narazil na bá*****ou sb**ku, ktera se mi i trochu zamlouvala, ale potom se jdu podivat do goodreads recenzi a vsichni bud krici ze Alan je peďák, nebo ze je hrozne overrated a krici tak moc az jsem kvuli toho musel snizit tohle hodnoceni o jednu hvezdicku.
Jako jo, samozrejme uz je to trochu stare, pripomina mi to jablko co jsem vytahl z popelnice na bioodpad za kauflandem brno slatina (ne ze bych to vylozene potreboval, mi milovani rodice mi posilaji dost penez (stredni trida), spis kvuli tomu ze je to cool a hip), no a to jablko smrdelo tou popelnici ale kdyz jsem ho oloupal tak to bylo porad fresh jablko, chapete tu podobnost?
Jakoze jasne mozna ze 3-4 hvezdicky jsou trochu moc stedre, ale nezapomente ze to srovnavam s zijicimi "bá***ky" a jejich žumpami, takze latka je faakt hodne nizko.
Ja nevim lidi, nebo jsem moc kruty? Unika mi neco? Proc mam tak hrozne predsudky proti soucasne poe**i? Kde se to bere? Budu rad za vas nazor v komentarich
Jako jo, samozrejme uz je to trochu stare, pripomina mi to jablko co jsem vytahl z popelnice na bioodpad za kauflandem brno slatina (ne ze bych to vylozene potreboval, mi milovani rodice mi posilaji dost penez (stredni trida), spis kvuli tomu ze je to cool a hip), no a to jablko smrdelo tou popelnici ale kdyz jsem ho oloupal tak to bylo porad fresh jablko, chapete tu podobnost?
Jakoze jasne mozna ze 3-4 hvezdicky jsou trochu moc stedre, ale nezapomente ze to srovnavam s zijicimi "bá***ky" a jejich žumpami, takze latka je faakt hodne nizko.
Ja nevim lidi, nebo jsem moc kruty? Unika mi neco? Proc mam tak hrozne predsudky proti soucasne poe**i? Kde se to bere? Budu rad za vas nazor v komentarich
August 9, 2021
Věděla jsem, že mě Kvílení nadchne a že takhle moc jsem nečekala. The Howl jsem četla v originále i překladu od Jana Zábrany, upravený starý překlad musím chválit.
Některé fráze mi utkvěly v hlavě jako: who scribbled all night rocking and rolling over lofty incantations which in the yellow morning were stanzas of gibberish, who threw their watches off the roof to cast their ballot for Eternity outside of Time, & alarm clocks fell on their heads every day for the next decade.
Básni prozatím dávám čtyři hvězdy, musím si její obsah nechat projít hlavou. Ale i teď mohu říct, že podle mě je Ginsbergovo Kvílení a jakákoliv z Kerouacových próz povinné čtení.
Ze sbírky mě nadchla báseň o Americe. Kvílení je začátkem nové poezie, kterým se inspirují noví autoři dodnes. Zároveň je to básnickou klasikou a alternativou.
Některé fráze mi utkvěly v hlavě jako: who scribbled all night rocking and rolling over lofty incantations which in the yellow morning were stanzas of gibberish, who threw their watches off the roof to cast their ballot for Eternity outside of Time, & alarm clocks fell on their heads every day for the next decade.
Básni prozatím dávám čtyři hvězdy, musím si její obsah nechat projít hlavou. Ale i teď mohu říct, že podle mě je Ginsbergovo Kvílení a jakákoliv z Kerouacových próz povinné čtení.
Ze sbírky mě nadchla báseň o Americe. Kvílení je začátkem nové poezie, kterým se inspirují noví autoři dodnes. Zároveň je to básnickou klasikou a alternativou.
July 9, 2020
Malá tenká knížečka napsaná osamělým, zkroušeným chlapem, který touto sbírkou chtěl oslnit Jacka Kerouaca.
Beatnická generace patří k mým nejoblíbenějším, protože do knih dávají to, co nemohli vykřičet do světa. Smutek a vztek na dnešní hnusný zprasený svět plný nespravedlnosti.
Sbírka popisuje drogově závislé, zpovídá o sexu s naturalistickými prvky. Knihu rozhodně nepochopí každý, protože je až příliš čistě psaná a mnohé možná znechutí. Kvílení je opravdu výstižný název - Ginsbergova poezie opravdu nešťastně kvílí - smutek, zoufalství, beznaděj, nepochopení a marginalizace. Kniha se mi velmi líbila. Kdo rád čte upřímné prasárny, doporučuji!
5/5 ⭐️
Beatnická generace patří k mým nejoblíbenějším, protože do knih dávají to, co nemohli vykřičet do světa. Smutek a vztek na dnešní hnusný zprasený svět plný nespravedlnosti.
Sbírka popisuje drogově závislé, zpovídá o sexu s naturalistickými prvky. Knihu rozhodně nepochopí každý, protože je až příliš čistě psaná a mnohé možná znechutí. Kvílení je opravdu výstižný název - Ginsbergova poezie opravdu nešťastně kvílí - smutek, zoufalství, beznaděj, nepochopení a marginalizace. Kniha se mi velmi líbila. Kdo rád čte upřímné prasárny, doporučuji!
5/5 ⭐️
June 26, 2024
Musel jsem to číst furt a furt dokola, abych pochopil, co se tam děje ale dal jsem to a stálo to za to. Poprvé jsem toto veledílo přečetl, když ho někdo fixkou napsal na dveře záchodů školy, na který jsem strávil druhej stupeň (ideální čas, kdy si tohle přečíst poprvý).
June 18, 2023
Nelíbilo se mi to, ale to byla myslím ta pointa
May 10, 2024
Nemám slov. Velká vřava emocí a hrubosti v šedesáti stránkách.
July 26, 2025
Kvílení je sbírka energetických, emočně nabitých básní. Osobně mě více zaujaly jiné básně než titulní a nejdelší, ale všechny mají svou sílu.
November 21, 2025
divim se ze za problematickou bylo povazovany zejmena kvileni a ne ameriko😭😭😭 sassy af
March 13, 2017
Po přečtení vím 3 věci.
1- Rozhodně si musím pořídit svůj vlastní výtisk.
2- Až ho budu mít a budu ho znovu číst, trošku se upojím alkoholem nebo květenou, zajímá mě následná (ne)líbivost díla.
3- Chci vidět Ameriku. (teď i tenkrát, za života beat generation.))
1- Rozhodně si musím pořídit svůj vlastní výtisk.
2- Až ho budu mít a budu ho znovu číst, trošku se upojím alkoholem nebo květenou, zajímá mě následná (ne)líbivost díla.
3- Chci vidět Ameriku. (teď i tenkrát, za života beat generation.))
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews