Selected Poems 1947-1995

by Ginsberg, Allen

• ISBN13: 9780060933760
• ISBN10: 0060933763
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-04-01
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publications

Summary

Assembled by Allen Ginsberg, Selected Poems 1947-1995 is the definitive collection of the best works of one of the most influential and revolutionary poets of the twentieth century.Allen Ginsberg, famous for helping catalyze the Beat Generation, wrote poetry for more than fifty years. His innovative verse and provocative attitudes of spiritual, political, and sexual liberation inspired countless poets, musicians, and visual and performance artists worldwide, and helped shape several generations' views of the world.Selected Poems 1947-1995 commemorates Ginsberg's brilliant career as one of America's most distinguished poets. Here are well-known masterpieces such as the lyric "Howl" and the narrative "Kaddish" -- classic works of American literature -- as well as more recent gems, including the long dream poem "White Shroud," the visionary "After Lalon," and the political rock lyric "The Ballad of the Skeletons," a song he recorded in 1996 with a stellar band that included Philip Glass, Lenny Kaye, and Paul McCartney.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	xv
Apologia of Selection	xvii
Empty Mirror: Gates of Wrath (1947--1952)
In Society	3	(1)
The Bricklayer's Lunch Hour	4	(1)
The Trembling of the Veil	5	(1)
A Western Ballad	6	(2)
Pull My Daisy	8	(2)
The Shrouded Stranger	10	(1)
Fyodor	11	(1)
Metaphysics	11	(1)
Paterson	12	(2)
The Archetype Poem	14	(2)
Marijuana Notation	16	(1)
A Crazy Spiritual	17	(6)
The Green Automobile (1953--1954)
The Green Automobile	23	(5)
Green Valentine Blues	28	(2)
Siesta in Xbalba (selections)	30	(9)
Song	39	(2)
In back of the real	41	(1)
On Burroughs' Work	42	(1)
Love Poem on Theme by Whitman	43	(4)
Howl, Before & After: San Francisco Bay Area (1955--1956)
Malest Cornifici Tuo Catullo	47	(1)
Dream Record: June 8, 1955	48	(1)
Howl	49	(8)
Footnote to Howl	57	(1)
A Strange New Cottage in Berkeley	58	(1)
A Supermarket in California	59	(1)
Sunflower Sutra	60	(2)
America	62	(3)
Many Loves	65	(6)
Reality Sandwiches: Europe! Europe! (1957--1959)
Death to Van Gogh's Ear!	71	(4)
The Lion for Real	75	(2)
The Names	77	(4)
Message	81	(1)
To Lindsay	82	(1)
To Aunt Rose	83	(2)
My Sad Self	85	(2)
Ignu	87	(6)
Kaddish and Related Poems (1959--1960)
Kaddish: Proem, Narrative, Hymmnn, Lament, Litany and Fugue	93	(19)
Psalm IV	112	(1)
Magic Psalm	113	(2)
The End	115	(4)
Planet News: To Europe and Asia (1961--1963)
Television Was a Baby Crawling Toward That Deathchamber (selections)	119	(6)
This Form of Life Needs Sex	125	(3)
Describe: The Rain on Dasaswamedh Ghat	128	(2)
Patna--Benares Express	130	(1)
The Change: Kyoto--Tokyo Express	131	(10)
King of May: America to Europe (1963--1965)
I Am a Victim of Telephone	141	(1)
Today	142	(5)
Kral Majales	147	(2)
Guru	149	(1)
Who Be Kind To	150	(7)
The Fall of America (1965--1971)
First Party at Ken Kesey's with Hell's Angels	157	(1)
These States: into L.A. (selections)	158	(2)
Wichita Vortex Sutra	160	(16)
I (selections)	160	(1)
II	161	(15)
Kansas City to Saint Louis (selections)	176	(3)
Uptown	179	(1)
Iron Horse (selections)	180	(9)
City Midnight Junk Strains	189	(3)
Autumn Gold: New England Fall (selections)	192	(3)
Wales Visitation	195	(3)
Elegy for Neal Cassady	198	(3)
Kiss Ass	201	(1)
Please Master	202	(2)
On Neal's Ashes	204	(1)
Rain-wet asphalt heat, garbage curbed cans overflowing	205	(1)
Memory Gardens (selections)	206	(2)
Milarepa Taste	208	(1)
September on Jessore Road	209	(10)
Mind Breaths All Over The Place (1972--1977)
Vomit Express	219	(2)
Jimmy Berman Rag	221	(3)
4 AM Blues	224	(2)
New York Blues	226	(2)
NY Youth Call Annunciation	228	(4)
Come Back Christmas: Blues Stanza	232	(2)
Slack Key Guitar	234	(2)
Reef Mantra	236	(1)
Bus Ride Ballad Road to Suva	237	(3)
Xmas Gift	240	(1)
Ayers Rock/Uluru Song	241	(1)
Everybody Sing	242	(4)
Prayer Blues	246	(6)
Broken Bone Blues	252	(3)
Under the world there's a lot of ass, a lot of cunt	255	(1)
Returning to the Country for a Brief Visit (selections)	256	(1)
Night Gleam	257	(2)
Mind Breaths	259	(3)
Stay Away from the White House	262	(5)
Jaweh and Allah Battle	267	(3)
Hardon Blues	270	(2)
Sad Dust Glories (selections)	272	(2)
Ego Confession	274	(2)
Mugging (Part I)	276	(2)
Dope Fiend Blues	278	(4)
Guru Blues	282	(4)
Sickness Blues	286	(2)
Gospel Noble Truths	288	(2)
Lay Down Yr Mountain	290	(2)
Don't Grow Old	292	(4)
Part I	292	(1)
Part II	292	(1)
Part III	293	(1)
Part IV	294	(1)
Part V (Father Death Blues)	294	(2)
Contest of Bards (selections)	296	(6)
Punk Rock Your My Big Crybaby	302	(3)
Plutonian Ode (1977--1980)
Love Replied	305	(2)
Manhattan May Day Midnight	307	(1)
Nagasaki Days: Everybody's Fantasy	308	(1)
Plutonian Ode	309	(5)
Old Pond	314	(3)
Spring Fashions	317	(1)
Ruhr-Gebiet	318	(2)
Love Forgiven	320	(2)
Homework	322	(1)
Lower East Side (After Reznikoff)	323	(1)
τεθvακηιδ' oλ&iacgr;γωπιδευηζ&phis;αιvoμ' αλαια	324	(2)
Fourth Floor, Dawn, Up All Night Writing Letters	326	(1)
Birdbrain!	327	(2)
``Defending the Faith''	329	(1)
Capitol Air	330	(7)
White Shroud (1980--1985)
Those Two	337	(1)
Homage Vajracarya	337	(1)
Why I Meditate	338	(1)
Love Comes	339	(3)
Airplane Blues	342	(4)
Do the Meditation Rock	346	(3)
``What You Up To?''	349	(2)
Maturity	351	(1)
136 Syllables at Rocky Mountain Dharma Center	351	(1)
Arguments	352	(1)
White Shroud	353	(4)
Written in My Dream by W. C. Williams	357	(2)
Reading Bai Juyi (I, V, VI & VII)	359	(6)
Cosmopolitan Greetings (1986--1992)
Sphincter	365	(1)
Cosmopolitan Greetings	366	(2)
Personals Ad	368	(1)
Proclamation	369	(2)
May Days 1988	371	(3)
Return of Kral Majales	374	(1)
Hum Bom!	375	(3)
After the Big Parade	378	(1)
Yiddishe Kopf	378	(1)
After Lalon	379	(4)
Put Down Your Cigarette Rag (Don't Smoke)	383	(5)
The Charnel Ground	388	(3)
Autumn Leaves	391	(1)
American Sentences	392	(5)
New Poems (1992--1995)
C'mon Pigs of Western Civilization Eat More Grease	397	(2)
New Stanzas for Amazing Grace	399	(2)
The Ballad of the Skeletons	401	(6)
Notes	407	(30)
Index of Proper Names	437	(4)
Index of Titles, First Lines, and Original Book Sources	441	(4)
About Allen Ginsberg	445