THE MADMEN OF ALLEN GINSBERG’S “HOWL” AND THEIR BLAKEAN ROOTS
THE MADMEN OF ALLEN GINSBERG’S “HOWL” AND THEIR BLAKEAN ROOTS

Summary/Abstract: This paper considers the cultural reflection of William Blake’s literary madness in the shaping of the identitary image of “Howl”’s Beats, with the word beat interpreted as meaning beatifically mad. I underline the effect of this type of madness upon the hipsters who inspired and became inspirational trough Allen Ginsberg’s groundbreaking American poem and the latter’s portrayal of madness as both a consequence of social stigma and a source of prophetic self-confidence.

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