Alguns Poemas

by Allen Ginsberg

In this series, a contemporary poet selects and introduces a poet of the past. By their choice of poems and by the personal and critical reactions they express in their prefaces, the editors offer insights into their own work as well as providing an accessible and passionate introduction to some of the greatest poets of our literature. Allen Ginsberg (1926-97) was born in Newark, New Jersey, to a poet-teacher father and Russian emigre mother. Along with his friend Jack Kerouac, he attended Columbia University, but was initially expelled for writings obscenities on his dormitory window before returning to complete his graduation in 1948. When "Howl and Other Poems" was impounded by San Francisco customs in 1956, the subsequent trial for obscenity catapulted Ginsberg and his publisher City Lights to national fame and helped to define the Beat Generation. His "Collected 1947-1997" appeared in 2006.

Genres: Poetry

77 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Allen 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.

Reviews

[Pedro · Rating 3 out of 5]

A seleção é boa, mas as traduções deixam a desejar (especialmente a de America)

[Leila Anani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Allen Ginsberg is regarded as one of America's greatest poets and I can never figure out why. His verse is an unstructured express train of thought some pages and pages in length leaving barely any room to breathe. Reading it is like taking drugs without actually taking any. Being hugely autobiographical it perfectly encapsulates the world of the Beat Generation but to me it never really points to much beyond itself - like reading a diary in verse form, whereas for me poetry should make me see things in a new way and think of things beyond themselves - Ginsberg's work is one huge ego trip - as he says in Objective subject "It's true I write about myself, Who else do I know so well?"

A huge amount of tragedy and angst we see him struggle with his homosexuality, his mentally unstable mother, his Russian Jewish heritage, the Vietnam war, drug addiction and more - which is fascinating and a great companion piece to the work of Jack Kerouac but it is very much a time capsule of the Beat Generation microcosm - I find it hard to single out a particular poem, other than perhaps Howl - it's a collection that needs to be read as a whole and you get far more sense of the poet than the actual poetry.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This man was so very interesting. Reading his work makes me want to experience the late 60's and the Beat in San Fran. The refrences to drugs and the gathering of the Beat protestors and the Hells angels was somewhat humorous to imagine.

[Rom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very powerful poetry filled with soul. I think White Shroud is my favourite poem from this collection. I will be exploring more of Ginsberg's work in the future.

[Will · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like after you have read Howl, America, Sunflower Sultra you have pretty much read them all.