I hope I won't
seem too politically incorrect for saying this but after immersing myself in
the writings of the guilt-obsessed asexual Jack Kerouac, the ridiculously horny
Allen Ginsberg and the just plain sordid William S. Boroughs... it's nice to
read a few poems by a guy who can get excited about a little candy store under
the El or a pretty woman letting a stocking drop to the floor ("Literary
Kicks").
For casual
reading, Lawrence Ferlinghetti's poetry is cheerful and humorous. At best it is a welcome break for the
mainstream of the "beat generation."
Inside his poetry, deep rooted criticisms of the United States exist. Ferlinghetti has had an anti-government
attitude since the 1950's. His beliefs
strengthened when he was put on trial for publishing a highly controversial
collection of poems written by Allen Ginsberg.
Lawrence Ferlinghetti has chosen to express his
political views through
his poetry. Additionally, Ferlinghetti
became more vocal with the use of protests and further publication of
controversial and/or anti-government materials through his publishing house,
New Directions. By using poetry,
Ferlinghetti was able to reach a vast audience including those whom he was
criticizing. Through his poetry,
Lawrence Ferlinghetti blatantly and subtly criticized the American democratic
system and politicians.
In 1957, Ferlinghetti received his first
national attention. Ferlinghetti was
arrested and brought to trial as the publisher of a collection of obscene
poetry, Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg (Alspaugh 1148). Eventually he was cleared of the charges of
"publishing and sale of obscene writings." Since his involvement in the obscenity trial,
Ferlinghetti became quite cynical of the government. After the trial ended, Lawrence Ferlinghetti
canceled all government grants coming to him and to any writers under his publishing house. Currently he still disallows the acceptance
of government grants to any of his writers (Alspaugh 1146). Economically
speaking, Ferlinghetti did benefit from the trial. The publicity created by the trial attracted
new names to New Directions Publishing.
The publicity also was great enough to propel Lawrence Ferlinghetti's
image to the degree where he could successfully release his second collection
of poetry, A Coney Island of the Mind.
In most of Ferlinghetti's work, he has shown a concern with political
issues. "His poetry often addresses
political subjects..." (Nasso
196). The Kennedy Assassination,
McCarthyism and the Vietnam conflict were all topics in several Ferlinghetti
poems (Oppenheimer 136). Lawrence
Ferlinghetti's past incidents involving the government influenced his poetry
and consequentially he has little respect for government. "Ferlinghetti's... poetry offered
blatant tirades against the destructive tendencies of America's political
leadership" (Trosky 136).
Politics are themes in virtually all of
Ferlinghetti's works. A Ferlinghetti
poem cannot be appreciated without examining the entire poem and finding all of
the subtle and open criticisms of the government. For example, the poem "Underwear"
is a light-hearted, comedic poem... or so it appears. Ferlinghetti begins with the comedic approach mocking a typical underwear
advertisement as he says:
You have seen the
three color pictures / with crotches encircled / to show the areas of extra
strength / and three way stretch
Further through
the passage, his word choice becomes conspicuous. "Don't be deceived / It's all based on
the two party system / which doesn't allow much freedom of choice." The phrase where Ferlinghetti's word choice
begins to hint a theme other than a parody of an underwear advertisement is
"...promising full freedom of action." Specifically, the choice of the word
"freedom" as opposed to "elasticity" or "range"
is ambiguous. In the lines which follow,
Ferlinghetti makes it clear that he is criticizing the government. The reader is blatantly warned not to
"...be deceived / It's all based on the two-party system / which doesn't
allow much freedom of choice." In
this passage, Lawrence Ferlinghetti is clearly stating what is wrong with the
political system in the United states.
He is saying how the suppression of freedoms by the government is
deteriorating our government.
Ferlinghetti expressed his opinion about the
Government in "The World Is A Beautiful Place" by making a blunt
statement of his beliefs. Not only did
Ferlinghetti attack government (specifically his target in this poem was the
House Un-American Activities Committee), but he attacked segregation, high
ranking officials, and the lack of diversity in society. The following excerpt contains examples of
each.
Oh the world is a
beautiful place / to be born into / if you don't much mind / a few dead minds /
in the higher places / or a bomb or two / now and then / in your upturned faces
/ or such other improprieties / as our Name Brand society / is prey to / with
its men of distinction / and its men of extinction / and its priests / and
other patrolmen / and it various segregations / and congressional
investigations / and other constipations / that our fool flesh / is heir to.
Evidence of
criticism of political officials clearly comes from the phrases "if you
don't much mind / a few dead minds / in the higher places." This is showing a lack of faith of the
elected officials holding esteemed offices.
"Or such other improprieties / as our Name Brand society / is prey
to" expresses Ferlinghetti's disapproval of the lack of diversity in
society. By coining the public as a
"Name Brand society," Ferlinghetti shows that the mainstream will
conform to the status quo. His use of
capitalization in "Name Brand" emphasizes the generic quality
bequeathed upon the public. Later
Ferlinghetti mentions that segregation is a problem. Ferlinghetti also mentions that
"congressional investigations" plague the world. This is a reference to the House Un-American
Activities Committee, which persecuted artists and idols in the film industry
for their actions and words. Lawrence Ferlinghetti's
"The World Is A Beautiful Place" provides a little more focus on
specific issues which are disheartening to Ferlinghetti while maintaining a
clear anti-government theme.
Expanding upon his anti-government theme in
"Dog," Ferlinghetti also introduces a belief of non-alliance to a
conformist government and political parties (i.e. Democrat/Republican). Also present is the disapproval of the House
Un-American Activities Committee.
Various lines of the poem "Dog" can be used to prove both of
the aforementioned argument.
A real live /
barking / democratic dog / engaged in real / free enterprise / with something
to say / about ontology / something to say / about reality.
The dog
represents Lawrence Ferlinghetti in society.
The dog will not conform to society's political notions. The dog is not a Democrat or a Republican;
however, it is at least "democratic" (Alspaugh 1150). There are also several slurs directed to the
House Un-American Activities Committee.
He doesn't hate
cops / He merely has no use for them / and he goes past them / and past the
dead cows hung up whole / in front of the San Francisco Meat Market / He would
rather eat a tender cow / than a tough policeman / though either might do / And
he goes past the Romeo Ravioli Factory / and past Coit's Tower / and past
Congressman Doyle of the un-American Committee / He's afraid of Coit's Tower /
but he's not afraid of Congressman Doyle / ... / He will not be muzzled /
Congressman Doyle is just another / fire hydrant / to him.
The continual
references to a "Congressman Doyle" were referring to the Congressman
Doyle of the House Un-American Activities Committee (Alspaugh 1150). The dog has respect for several things: the
San Francisco Meat Market, Coit's Tower, and to an extent the police. Although the dog does not hate the police, he
will stand up to and condemn them should they be wrong. This is evident by the statement "He
would rather eat a tender cow / than a tough policeman / though either will
do." The dog does not exhibit any
respect for Doyle as evident by the lines "Congressman Doyle is just
another / fire hydrant / to him."
Use of the term "fire hydrant" expresses Ferlinghetti's
theoretical actions towards Mr.
Doyle. Government in general was
a "fire hydrant" to Ferlinghetti.
Ferlinghetti used his poetry to express his
opinions, dissent and dissatisfactions about the United States government. In poems like "Underwear,"
Ferlinghetti warns the unenlightened to beware of a government which is not
what it seems. With moving verses such
as those in "The World Is A Beautiful Place," Lawrence Ferlinghetti
named several specific downfalls in twentieth century society and
politics. These included the ignorance
of the public with their willingness to conform, segregation, and government
restriction of freedoms. In vicious
attacks such as the ones present in "Dog," Ferlinghetti dealt
scathing words on specific ills which plague him and his fellow
non-conformists. Lawrence Ferlinghetti
has moved the readers of his poetry and shown that the idealistic view of
America may not be as rose colored as it appears. Ferlinghetti suggested that the citizens
should examine individuals and institutions rather than automatically granting
trust because of their position.
"It should... be realized that a significant amount of his work is
social poetry. ...Ferlinghetti sees
himself as a prophet, he clearly has a sense of audience that many other poets
do not" (Hopkins 176). Lawrence
Ferlinghetti has taken on the responsibility of informing the public of a
lurking evil entity, the government.
Ferlinghetti has shown his readers that "The world is a beautiful
place... if you don't mind a touch of hell now and then."
Works
Cited
Alspaugh,
John. "Lawrence
Ferlinghetti." Magill's Critical
Survey of Poetry. Vol. 3.
Ed. Frank H. Magill. Englewood
Cliffs: Salem Press, 1992. 1145-1151.
Ferlinghetti,
Lawrence. Endless Life: Selected
Poems. San Francisco: New Directions, 1981.
Hopkins, Crale
D. "The Poetry of Lawrence
Ferlinghetti: A Reconsideration." Italian Americana, 1974, 59-76. Rpt. in Contemporary
Literary Criticism. Vol. 10. Ed. Dedria Bryfonski. Detroit:
Gale Research Inc., 1979. 174-178.
"Literary
Kicks: "Lawrence Ferlinghetti."
(Internet Search). http://www.charm.net/~brooklyn/people/lawrenceferlinghetti.html.
Nasso, Christine.
ed. "Lawrence
Ferlinghetti." Contemporary
Authors: New Revision Series. Vol. 3.
Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1981.
Oppenheimer,
Joel. "Weathered Well." The
New York Times Book Review, 1981,
40-41. Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism.
Vol. 27. Ed. Jean C. Stein. Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1984. 136-139.
Trosky, Susan
M. ed. "Lawrence
Ferlinghetti." Contemporary
Authors: New Revision Series. Vol. 41.
Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1994.
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