FIRST PARTY AT KEN KESEY'S WITH HELL'S ANGELS BY ALLEN GINSBERG

Allen Ginsberg

Original Poem

A dark cool night

Loud music blaring into the dark

Cars parked outside, all huddle up together like statues

A few lucky souls outside

Vomiting and searching for their statue like cars

Inside the humongous house, colorful lights everywhere,

late at night

loud speakers blasting with sweating and modern music

Empty beer cans, liquor bottles, cigarettes all scattered around the floor

Crazy and rowdy youths dancing to the vibration thru the floor

Girls in tights dresses showing off bare skin

Boys sweating, smoking, drinking and vomiting everything they consumed

The extravagant room filled with misty smoke

Air filled with the stench of vomit and stale beer.

Outside, horrible adults

Crossing their arms, Furious red faces. Among them are police officers, sirens wailing, red lights reflecting into the concerned faces and still like statue cars

The youths partying all night.

Not giving a damn.

First party at Ken Kesey's with hell's angels

Thanks too...

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/allen_ginsberg.html

http://www.gradesaver.com/allen-ginsbergs-poetry/study-guide/about/

Visual

The poem reflects Ginsberg's personality, an activist of the 60's, he describes the parts of the party that usually people wouldn't talk about during that time, the characters that roam that night symbolize the rebellious and hippie liberal side of the youth of the time, a big revolutionary change since the 50's. (conformity)

Figurative Language

ALLEN GINSBERG

June 3, 1926-April 5, 1997

-Hell's Angels (Bad Boys in Leather), Stoners, rebelious girls, poets, artist

-"Rolling Stones, Ray Charles, Beatles..."

-"twenty Youths dancing..."

-"Girls in scarlet tights."

-"Weed in the bathroom.."

"Fire burning by the side porch and a few tired souls hunched in black leather jackets..." ( Imagery)

" Girls in scarlet tights, one muscular smooth skinned man sweating dancing for hours....." (Imagery)

" Dancing to the vibration thru the floor..." (Hyperbole)

"Children sleeping softly in their bedroom bunks..." ( Irony/ Paradox)

Author's Background:

Authors Background

KEN KESEY'S ACID TESTS

Title

Allen Ginsberg was born in Newark, New Jersey, he was the younger son of Louis Ginsberg. His mother Naomi Ginsberg spent most of her life in a mental hospital,her death had a dramatic impact on his poetry.

Allen was highly influenced by Walt Whitman's works, especially, "song of myself." Ginsberg then attend Columbia were his friends and professors where of high influence on his poetic career. Ginsberg and his friends called themselves the "beat generation" where beat referred to, diffuse feelings of rebellion against what they experienced as general conformity,hypocrisy, and materialism of the larger society around them. Ginsberg's poetry, along with other Beat Generation works, became a seed for the rebellion, protest, and cultural revolution.and his poetry was banned and censored because of its controversial content. Ginsberg was clearly aware of an America that had gone awry, and though he kept hope for the country's renewal, his work never shied away from depicting the less romantic realities of a beatnik life. His poetry sought to redefine the values both of poetic form and social commentary. Its depictions of drug use, violence, and lewd sexual acts still have the power to shock even while Ginsberg's life and work condemn an artistic, political,

and social context that seeks to choke out difference and activism.

Allen's unconvetinial rhythm and style make his poetry explosive.

POETS

Famous Quotes

The title connects to the poem because the poem symbolizes writers, novelists, and poets who hanged out at wild parties. Ken Kesey was a famous author who considered himself a leader to the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the hippies of the 1960s. The Hell's Angels were a motorcycle gang who rode throughout the U.S., all these people hanged out together. Ginsberg was friends with Ken Kesey and they both supported acid tests and hosted acid festivals.

HELL'S ANGELS

Overall Meaning

ARTISTS

STONERS

Speaker

First party at Ken Kesey's with hell's angles represents an era of rebellion . By the title itself one can see the mutiny against mainstream America. First by using Ken Kesey a "counter cultural" figure followed by "hell's angels" known for their illicit lifestyles Ginsberg establishes a feels of the 60's through pop culture icons and imagery. His poem consist of sex, drugs, and rock roll, which make his writing more recognizable and controversial. Lines 8-10 refers to the time period by listing popular icons, given the feeling that the party is full of young rebellious hippies rebelling against the rest of Americas mentality."Girls in Scarlet tights" also shows the contribution of woman to the "Insurgent" movement.In this poem Ginsgberg represents the voice of the untold, he gives insight on subject that not many had the courage to say.

“Follow your inner moonlight; don't hide the madness.”

The speaker is 3rd person, he describes the setting and the variety of characters that roam the party. He categorizes them by their appearance and he observes their actions as the party proceeds.