Ginsberg's Relationship With America

"It occurs to me that I am America.
I am talking to myself again."

-Allen Ginsberg, "America" (41)



            In Ginsberg's poem entitled "America", he addresses our nation both in questioning disbelief and blunt confession. Ginsberg uses the technique of coming off as an unsuspecting writer with little intent greater than asserting his thoughts. Regardless of this technique, in reading Ginsberg's work, one is generally aware that there is strategy in turning the mind of the reader.

            The poem best reflects Ginsberg's confusion in the post-war American society. In the midst of the black-and-white view of McCarthyism, Ginsberg finds himself pressed to decide between his communist Russian roots and capitalist America. Throughout the poem, it is evident that Ginsberg is not ready to choose either. However, he is quick to direct the blame. A continually arising conflict within the beats generation is the consideration of patriotism, and if not patriotism, then what mainstream America would consider to be anarchy or madness. I do not believe Ginsberg sought to be either.

            In one line, Ginsberg mentions reassuringly, "My psychoanalyst thinks I'm perfectly right" (40). One could either assume that simply by writing this poem, Ginsberg is admitting to not being perfectly right, or that America not being perfectly right. With his consistent cynicism toward America throughout the poem, I would assume the latter. For the purposes of irony and deeper consideration, Ginsberg addresses his country, himself, and the reader, conjoining and contrasting each. In doing this, he first pulls the reader in as if to say "hey, you're a part of this, too".

"I'm addressing you.
Are you going to let your emotional life be run by
            Time Magazine?" (40)
           
            With the inclusion of a seemingly guiltless act, Ginsberg catches the reader red-handed, grouping he or she with America, and therefore handing the reader some of the blame. Being an American citizen and participating in American cultural norms is enough, in Ginsberg's opinion, to be deserving of responsibility and blame for America. Ginsberg does not ignore the fact that he is an American citizen himself.

            On page 41, in which Ginsberg personifies America as himself, he becomes most sarcastic in pondering war and national resources. While he is considering himself as a representative of America, he is also distancing himself from it more than ever.

"My national resources consist of two joints of
marijuana millions of genitals an unpublishable
private literature that goes 1400 miles an hour
and twenty-five-thousand mental institutions." (41)

            Here is the point at which Ginsberg is truly striking below the belt for America in mentioning all of the unmentionables, or so according to American societal norms of the time. Ginsberg is begging not to have to make that choice between madness and the upstanding clay model that represented capitalism. Rather, he points out that America as mainstream society chooses to view it, is far from just. Ginsberg is imploring that there be change, he must present their guilt in the most blunt and hideous fashion. By pulling himself, the reader, and their country together in blame, Ginsberg strategizes his way out of making the decision in which America is pressing him to make.