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Abstract Allen Ginsberg (June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) is one of the most respected and acclaimed American poets of his generation. He was a leading figure in the Beat Generation in the 1950s. James F. Mersmann describes him as, ”a great figure in the history of poetry” (Broderick 58). He was born in New Jersey to Jewish parents. His father, Louis, was a school teacher. His mother, Naomi, was a radical communist who suffered from paranoia and schizophrenia. His parents made a profound impression on him. Ginsberg inherited his love of literature from his father. On the other hand, his mother exposed him to a more painful and darker side of life. But actually his mother’s madness may deserve more credit for his success than his father’s love of poetry. Ginsberg’s early life was marked by his mother’s nervous breakdowns. At the age of 9, he began to take care of his mother as she spent most of her adult life in and out of mental hospitals. Naomi was paranoid, and thought that the FBI implanted mind-control devices in her brain. At the age of 21, Allen took the advice of a psychiatrist and signed authorizing papers for a lobotomy for his mother. She passed away in 1956, but Ginsberg felt enormous guilt about his mother and her memory haunted him and his work. In 1943, Ginsberg was accepted to Columbia University, where he met his lifelong friends Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs. Later, the three became pivotal figures in the Beat Movement. They were known for their rambunctious behavior, unconventional views and experimentation with drugs. |