The story behind the poem that defined the beat generation

There’s an argument that without one particular American poem we may never have had Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison, Patti Smith or Kurt Cobain. At least not in the same way. This is the story of the poem that defined the American counterculture movement of the late 1950s and 1960s, Allen Ginsberg’s ‘Howl’. In this video we explore the background to this seminal work – the nonconformist landscape that ‘Howl’ emerged from and simultaneously gave voice to, and also consider its lasting legacy, 70 years on from its publication. And, in what would have been his 100th year, we take a closer look at the man behind the work, Allen Ginsberg. This bearded, bespectacled, queer poet, born to a Jewish family in New Jersey, who not only defined his own generation in the US, but went on to inspire poets and activists the world over, including here in London. Subscribe for the latest videos: https://southbankc.re/youtube TikTok ➳   / southbank.centre   Instagram ➳   / southbankcentre   Facebook ➳   / southbankcentre   #SouthbankCentre