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Collected Poems 1947-1980 by Allen Ginsberg (1988, Trade Paperback)
AlibrisBooks (463593)
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About this product
Product Identifiers
PublisherHarperCollins
ISBN-100060914947
ISBN-139780060914943
eBay Product ID (ePID)20152
Product Key Features
Book TitleCollected Poems 1947-1980
Number of Pages864 Pages
LanguageEnglish
Publication Year1988
TopicSubjects & Themes / Death, Grief, Loss, Subjects & Themes / Inspirational & Religious, General, American / General
IllustratorYes
GenrePoetry
AuthorAllen Ginsberg
FormatTrade Paperback
Dimensions
Item Height1.6 in
Item Weight41.1 Oz
Item Length9.2 in
Item Width6.1 in
Additional Product Features
Intended AudienceTrade
LCCN84-047573
Dewey Edition19
Dewey Decimal811/.54
SynopsisGathered here for the first time is the verse of three decades of one of America's greatest poets. Collected Poems 1947-1980 includes all writings in the groundbreaking paperback volumes published by City Lights Books, the contents of many rare pamphlets issued by small presses, and, finally, some notable texts hitherto unpublished--one, "Many Loves," withheld "for reasons of prudence and modesty," is an erotic rhapsody dating from the historic "San Francisco Renaissance" era. Allen Ginsberg is, of course, a chief figure in the group of writers (among them Kerouac, Corso, Ferlinghetti, Creeley, Duncan, snyder, and O'Hara) who, in the Bay Area and in New York in the 1950s, began to change the course of American poetry, liberating it from closed academic forms by the creation of open, vocal, spontaneous, and energetic postmodern verse in the tradition of Whitman, Apollinaire, Hart, Crance, Pound, and William Carlos Williams. Within a decade, Ginsberg's classics "Howl," "Kaddish," and "The Change" would become central in leading American (and international) poetry toward uncensored vernacular, raw candor, the ecstatic, the rhapsodic, and the sincere--al leavened, in Ginsberg's work, by an attractive and pervasive streak of common sense. These raw tones and attitudes of spiritual liberation helped catalyze a psychological revolution that has become a permanent part of our cultural heritage, profoundly influencing not only poetry and popular song and speech but also a generation's view of the world. Even the literary establishment, hostile at first toward the revolutionary new spirit, has recognized Allen Ginsberg's achievement by honoring him with a National Book Award and membership in the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. The uninterrupted energy of Ginsberg's remarkable career--embodying political activism as well as Buddhist spiritual practice--is clearly revealed in this volume. Seen in the order of composition, the poems reflect on one another; they are not only works but also a work. Here are the familiar anthology staples "Sunflower Sutra" and "To Aunt Rose"; the great antiwar poem "Wichita Vortex Sutra"; "Wales Visitation" (an extraordinary nature ode inspired by psychedelic experiments); the much-translated elegy "September on Jessore Road" and the meditative fantasy "Mind Breaths," followed by the haunting "Father Death Blues" and a later heroic, full-voiced "Plutonian Ode," addressed to "you, Congress and American people." Among the recent poems are the delicate familiar anecdotes in "Don't Grow Old"; "Birdbrain ," a savage political burlesque; and the new-wave lyric "Capitol Air." Adding to the splendid richness of this book are illustrations by Ginsberg's artist friends; unusual and illuminating notes to the poems, inimitably prepared by the author; extensive indexes; and prefaces and other materials that accompanied the original publications., Gathered here for the first time is the verse of three decades of one of America's greatest poets. Collected Poems 1947-1980 includes all writings in the groundbreaking paperback volumes published by City Lights Books, the contents of many rare pamphlets issued by small presses, and, finally, some notable texts hitherto unpublished--one, "Many Loves," withheld "for reasons of prudence and modesty," is an erotic rhapsody dating from the historic "San Francisco Renaissance" era. Allen Ginsberg is, of course, a chief figure in the group of writers (among them Kerouac, Corso, Ferlinghetti, Creeley, Duncan, snyder, and O'Hara) who, in the Bay Area and in New York in the 1950s, began to change the course of American poetry, liberating it from closed academic forms by the creation of open, vocal, spontaneous, and energetic postmodern verse in the tradition of Whitman, Apollinaire, Hart, Crance, Pound, and William Carlos Williams. Within a decade, Ginsberg's classics "Howl," "Kaddish," and "The Change" would become central in leading American (and international) poetry toward uncensored vernacular, raw candor, the ecstatic, the rhapsodic, and the sincere--al leavened, in Ginsberg's work, by an attractive and pervasive streak of common sense. These raw tones and attitudes of spiritual liberation helped catalyze a psychological revolution that has become a permanent part of our cultural heritage, profoundly influencing not only poetry and popular song and speech but also a generation's view of the world. Even the literary establishment, hostile at first toward the revolutionary new spirit, has recognized Allen Ginsberg's achievement by honoring him with a National Book Award and membership in the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. The uninterrupted energy of Ginsberg's remarkable career--embodying political activism as well as Buddhist spiritual practice--is clearly revealed in this volume. Seen in the order of composition, the poems reflect on one another; they are not only works but also a work. Here are the familiar anthology staples "Sunflower Sutra" and "To Aunt Rose"; the great antiwar poem "Wichita Vortex Sutra"; "Wales Visitation" (an extraordinary nature ode inspired by psychedelic experiments); the much-translated elegy "September on Jessore Road" and the meditative fantasy "Mind Breaths," followed by the haunting "Father Death Blues" and a later heroic, full-voiced "Plutonian Ode," addressed to "you, Congress and American people." Among the recent poems are the delicate familiar anecdotes in "Don't Grow Old"; "Birdbrain!," a savage political burlesque; and the new-wave lyric "Capitol Air." Adding to the splendid richness of this book are illustrations by Ginsberg's artist friends; unusual and illuminating notes to the poems, inimitably prepared by the author; extensive indexes; and prefaces and other materials that accompanied the original publications.
LC Classification NumberPS3566.L27
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Ratings and Reviews
Most relevant reviews
- Sep 05, 2016
Ginsberg poems a landmark collection
The paperback edition of Allen Ginsberg's Collected Poems 1947-1980 is the major contribution from the poet who is arguably the most important of the latter half 20th century (TS Eliot being the master of the first half). For me its always been The Wasteland vs Howl for Carl Solomon. This covers major portions of the early and middle years, and comprehensive treatment of the most significant work. It sets one up for the twilight of Allen's career that happened between the mid 80s and his death in 1997. What is unusual about the paperback as opposed to the hardcover is the HUNDREDS of corrections to the text. The first ed was so rife with typos that the publisher remaindered it and even destroyed thousands of copies. But not before Fred Bass from Strand Books on Broadway / 12th St could buy a mountain of boxes full of the remainder stock which sold in the shop in the late 80s for a couple years at $12.95 a copy. Allen Ginsberg was always quick to point out, at a signing where he was presented with a hardcover to sign, how bad the text was and almost always recommended buying a copy of the paperback. If he spotted the bright orange Strand sticker on the front pastedown, he'd comment how he got no royalty from that particular copy of the book. If you were lucky, if there was time or a casual atmosphere, Allen would open to a page with an error and make a hand correction or annotation. This enduring collection must be on your American lit shelf.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Dec 05, 2022
A treasure
Book contains all of Ginsberg‘s writings. A book to savor for the rest of my life. Keep it next to my dictionary.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
