“Howl” by Allen Ginsberg: the poem that changed America. Using parataxis, Ginsberg composed the poem in a breath-long form; the poem itself is divided into three parts: the first of which is described by Ginsberg as “a lament for the Lamb in America with examples of extraordinary lamb-like youths”, the second which “names the monster of mental consciousness that preys on Lamb ”, and the third, “a litany of affirmation of the Lamb in his glory”. This poem is made up of many biographical references and allusions by Ginsberg, which reinforce the emotion behind the written words. Although seemingly sporadic and discontinuous, the poem is remarkably organized and detailed with each "part" of the poem focusing on a central topic and appearing to resemble elongated, repeated sentences. "Howl", being a reflection of the culture and society of the American 1940s and 1950s, for nonconformists, places madness as a central theme. The current generation has been “destroyed” by the dominant and militant American government, thus driving them to madness. Yet, in the meantime, it is their desperation that drives them...