The voice of a Generation

In this artwork, I’ve chosen the great poet Allen Ginsberg as my hero. He was a pioneer of the Beat Generation, a revolution of poetry created in a corrupt America. The Beat Generation was the product of many famous pieces of poetry, which challenged the societal constructs of the time. During a period of time when multitudes of marginalized communities were facing discrimination and oppression, poetry seemed to be the one thing that people listened to. People rose up, following in the footsteps of Ginsberg. In that way, this man became an activist. He compelled people to make an effort to fight for their rights and created poetry that forced people to acknowledge the problems in their everyday lives. His work in the creation of the Beat Generation paved the path for multitudes of future writers who in turn also contributed to society. Ginsberg worked with other poets such as Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs, who were also very notable poets of their time. I chose Allen Ginsberg as my hero due to how he took responsibility as a writer. As a writer, Ginsberg decided to help others with his writing. He viewed poetry as a way to help people rather than for self-accomplishment. Writing as an art form is more important than anything else. While conditions of the world will come and go, art is the one thing that will stay forever, and the written word has its place in art. I incorporated Allen Ginsberg within my artwork by portraying his face and the many protests that occurred with his support. I’ve also shown the newspaper clippings which discussed his movements. Within his hand, on the paper he holds, I’ve recited part of Howl, which is possibly Ginsberg’s most famous poem. The artwork represents Ginsberg telling his poems to the crowd as he’s always done. In today’s world, it is even more important that we appreciate the works of writers, as it is writing that has been part of a better life for humanity. Allen Ginsberg is one of these many writers, and this is why he is my hero.