1. What common qualities do the beats share, why were they so named? The beat generation, or beat movement, was a social and literary movement in America, which was prominent throughout the 1950’s. The beat generation was associated with bohemian artist communities, which had three major locations throughout the US, including San Francisco’s North Beach, Venice Beach in Los Angeles, and Greenwich Village in New York City. The term ‘beat’ came from Jack Kerouac, who is none to be the pioneer of the beat movement. ‘Beat’ at first meant weary, but also adopted a connection to musicality and sonic interpretations, beat poetry becoming the early predecessor to rap music. The artists of the movement began calling themselves ‘beatniks’ as a way to separate themselves from the conservative conventions of society, and enjoyed a life filled with jazz, psychedelics, and freely expressed sexuality. In terms of how the beat poets were similar, there are many things which unite these artis
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Post Modernism: Beat Generation
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What common qualities do the "Beats" share? Why were they so named ? Beat poetry emerged from the disillusionment that followed World War II, a period of unimaginable atrocities including the Holocaust and the dropping of the atomic bomb over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and August 9, 1945 respectively. Science had militarially progressed mankind to the brink whereby millions could be killed instantly . Following the end of World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union quickly entered a Cold War, a period of political hostility that created paranoia and cultural and political repression. By the 1950’s a new generation of American writers , many U niversity educated from upper middle-class, rebelled against societal norms of American culture built on cap i t a lism and materialism. T hey were mainly a boys club that included Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, William Burroughs , Gary Synder, Gregory Corso, L
How do Blake and Rousseau's ideas align and differ (themes to consider are slavery, religion and education)?
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The romantic period in English literature occurred in the mid -18 th and early 19 th century, and sustained a similar type of significance as the renaissance did, by implementing a much needed theme of liberation. Romantic poets focused on the often subtle but other times overwhelming beauty of nature, defining this type of conflicted, bittersweet wonder as the ‘sublime’. They explored the different facets of human nature and the soul, putting a great emphasis on discovering ones individuality and celebrating it. A significant figure representing this period was the English poet William Blake (1757-1827), who besides writing poetry also flourished in the art world as a renowned painter and engraver. Blakes work provided an important call for social change, as he believed that “poetry show both delight and instruct”. This contrast is cleverly conveyed through the important topics portrayed in his poems and the quaint, often sublime artwork accompanying them. The themes in