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The Beat movement poetry evolved during the 1940s in both New York City and on the west coast. San Francisco became the heart of the movement in the early 1950s.

Beat culture consisted of

  • spiritual quest
  • Exploring American and Eastern religions
  • Experimentation with psychedelic drugs
  • Sexual liberation and exploration.

The origins of the Beat Generation can be traced to Columbia University. Classmates Lucien Carr and Allen Ginsberg discussed the need for a "New Vision", to counteract what they perceived as their teachers' conservative, formalistic literary ideals.

The Time Period

After most of these events occurred the beatniks began to question conventional traditions and politics, and became concerned with changing perception and defying unadventurous writing as well as battling against social conformity.

The Beat Movement is a group of authors whose literature explored and influenced American culture in the post-World War II era.

(1945-1959)

During the time period of the beat movement:

  • D-Day
  • World War II ends
  • FDR dies
  • Korean War begins
  • The Red Scare
  • Joesph McCarthy starts McCarthyism

Beatnik Music

What did they write about?

  • drugs

Themes

The point of Beat poetry is rejection of

social commentary and literary tradition.It

wassaturated with feelings of being used up and spat back out.WWII left the generation with "their own lust for freedom, and ability to live at a pace that kills."

It demonstrated the spread of hallucinogenic drugs. LSD ( Acid ) and THC (in marijuana) are examples of hallucinogenic drugs.

  • hedonism (persuit of pleasure)
  • Eastern philosophies
  • sexuality
  • Buddhism

Truly I have lost weight, I have lost weight,

grown lean in love’s defense,

in love’s defense grown grave.

It was concupiscence that brought me to the state:

all bone and a bit of skin

to keep the bone within. ~ The skeleton's defense of Carnality by Jack Foley ( Poem )

Prose

I am waiting for my case to come up

and I am waiting

for a rebirth of wonder

and I am waiting

for someone to really discover America

and wail ~ I am Waiting by Lawrence Ferlinghetti ( Poem )

Beat Movement Examples

Prose

The Beat Movement

BY: Daniel Leon, Danielle Cervantes, Julia Dorado, and Chanelle Herrera

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