Analysis
The purpose of the Beat Generation was for poets to voice their own opinions and express their feelings due to past experiences. From these experiences it caused them to create bold and expressive poetry. Gregory Corso does this by so called 'throwing the things his beliefs is the most important in his life out the window.' He feels that the values and morals that most people can't live without are making him miserable. Corso's usage of literary devices such as simile and anthropomorphism brings the poem to life by giving it a humorous and amused tone but still upholding the author's mood of being upset and angry. |
Literary Devices
Simile- The example of a simile in this poem would be when Truth was squealing like a fink trying to convince Gregory Corso to not throw him/her out of the window. This simile adds a little bit of comedy to the poem by giving the reader visual on how Truth was begging to stay which added to Corso's anger. Anthropomorphism- The examples of anthropomorphism would be Love cooing bribes, Truth squealing, and Death hiding behind a kitchen sink. By using anthropomorphism it brought things that you can't feel, touch, hear or see into life making them characters and giving them a mind of their own causing the poem itself to become humorous and amusing. It also made the poem entertaining with the constant bickering between Gregory and the values. |
Poem
The Whole Mess ... Almost BY GREGORY CORSO I ran up six flights of stairs to my small furnished room opened the window and began throwing out those things most important in life First to go, Truth, squealing like a fink: “Don’t! I’ll tell awful things about you!” “Oh yeah? Well, I’ve nothing to hide ... OUT!” Then went God, glowering & whimpering in amazement: “It’s not my fault! I’m not the cause of it all!” “OUT!” Then Love, cooing bribes: “You’ll never know impotency! All the girls on Vogue covers, all yours!” I pushed her fat ass out and screamed: “You always end up a bummer!” I picked up Faith Hope Charity all three clinging together: “Without us you’ll surely die!” “With you I’m going nuts! Goodbye!” Then Beauty ... ah, Beauty-- As I led her to the window I told her: “You I loved best in life ... but you’re a killer; Beauty kills!” Not really meaning to drop her I immediately ran downstairs getting there just in time to catch her “You saved me!” she cried I put her down and told her: “Move on.” Went back up those six flights went to the money there was no money to throw out. The only thing left in the room was Death hiding beneath the kitchen sink: “I’m not real!” It cried “I’m just a rumor spread by life ... ” Laughing I threw it out, kitchen sink and all and suddenly realized Humor was all that was left-- All I could do with Humor was to say: “Out the window with the window!” |
Beats
The Beats movement emerged after World War II and began in New York in the 1940's. The movement however, did not reach their popularity until the 1950's in San Francisco. After the war it left poets such as Gregory Corso, Allen Ginsberg, Gary Snyder, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti questioning about the structures of society.This inspired them to create literature that was expressive, bold, and straightforward. Soon these group of poets became formerly known as the Beat Generation.