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Allen Ginsberg

Allen Ginsberg Quotes

Poet

Allen Ginsberg, born on June 3, 1926, was an influential American poet. Known for his free-form poetry and profound political and social commentary, he was one of the key figures of the Beat Generation. Ginsberg's landmark poem 'Howl' was first published in 1956, becoming a milestone in American literary history.

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Famous Allen Ginsberg Quotes

“Because systems of mass communication can communicate only officially acceptable levels of reality, no one can know the extent of the secret unconscious life. No one in America can know what will happen. No one is in real control.”

Knows Life Real Wisdom Reality Happens America Ability Levels Secret Knowledge Power Acceptance Communication Mass Communicate Unconscious Acceptable Mass Communication

Book:The Essential Ginsberg

Source: The Essential Ginsberg

“That's what the shaman said. He didn't know what he was up against. He didn't expect the strength and weight and evil intensity of this spirit, this "entity," as he called it. The same way the priest in an exorcism has to take on the spirit.”

Knows Way Said Spirit Evil Weight Priests Intensity Entity Exorcism

Author:Allen Ginsberg

“This is the same notion - Catholic exorcism, psychotherapy, shamanistic practices - getting to the moment when whatever it was gained access. And also to the name of the spirit. Just to know that it's the Ugly Spirit. That's a great step. Because the spirit doesn't want its name to be known.”

Knows Want Moments Spirit Names Known Steps Practice Catholic Notion Ugly Access Psychotherapy Exorcism

Author:Allen Ginsberg

“[William Butler] Yeats has the phrase Hodos Chameliontos, chameleon-like, in that you don't know where the beginning or the middle or the end is, so it's an unrelieved hallucination, because you don't know where you're coming in and you don't know where you're going out. It ends, you're going into the hallucination, or maybe coming out of it, I don't know.”

Knows Ends Middle Phrases Coming Out Going Out Hallucinations Butlers Chameleon Yeats

Author:Allen Ginsberg

“I know too much and not enough”

Knows Enough Too Much

Book:Collected Poems 1947-1997

Source: Collected Poems 1947-1997

“I know I'm not God, are you? Don't be silly. God? God? Everybody's God? Don't be silly.”

Knows Silly Being Silly

Book:Collected Poems 1947-1997

Source: Collected Poems 1947-1997

“I am neither romantic nor a visionary, and that is my weakness and perhaps my power; at any rate it is one difference. In less romantic and visionary terms, I am a Jew, (with powers of introspection and eclecticism attendant, perhaps.) But I am alien to your natural grace, to the spirit which you would know as a participator in America.”

Knows America Spirit Term Natural Differences Grace Weakness Rate Jew Aliens Introspection Visionaries

Author:Allen Ginsberg

“There should be no distinction between what we write down, and what we really know.”

Knows Should Writing Down And Distinction

Author:Allen Ginsberg

“I didn't know the names of the flowers - now my garden is gone.”

Knows Names Gone Flower Garden Flower Blossom Summer Flower

Book:Journals: Early Fifties, Early Sixties

Source: Journals: Early Fifties, Early Sixties

About the Author

Born: June 3, 1926
Died: April 5, 1997
Known for: Poet
Quotes: 193

Related Topics

World America Howl Want People Poetry Writing Ifs Knows Literature Thinking Mind Naked Soul Art Consciousness Self Spirit Angel Dream

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

Howl and Other Poems: Pocket Poets Number 4Related source material

Collected Poems 1947-1997Related source material

On the Poetry of Allen GinsbergRelated source material

The Essential GinsbergRelated source material

Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg: The LettersRelated source material

Journals: Early Fifties, Early SixtiesRelated source material

The Fall of America: Poems of These States 1965-1971: Pocket Poets Number 30Related source material

The Human Street: PhotographsRelated source material

Wait Till I'm Dead: Uncollected PoemsRelated source material

Family Business: Selected Letters Between a Father and SonRelated source material

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