Lawrence Ferlinghettis Politics

Lawrence Ferlinghetti's Politics

I hope I won't seem too politically incorrect for saying this but after immersing myself in the writings of the guilt-obsessed asexual Jack Kerouac, the ridiculously horny Allen Ginsberg and the just plain sordid William S.

Boroughs... it's nice to read a few poems by a guy who can get excited about a little candy store under the El or a pretty woman letting a stocking drop to the floor (“Literary Kicks”).

For casual reading, Lawrence Ferlinghetti's poetry is cheerful and humorous. At best it is a welcome break for the mainstream of the “beat generation.” Inside his poetry, deep rooted criticisms of the United States exist. Ferlinghetti has had an anti-government attitude since the 1950's. His beliefs strengthened when he was put on trial for publishing a highly controversial collection of poems written by Allen Ginsberg. Lawrence

Ferlinghetti has chosen to express his political views through his poetry.

Additionally, Ferlinghetti became more vocal with the use of protests and further publication of controversial and/or anti-government materials through his publishing house, New Directions. By using poetry, Ferlinghetti was able to reach a vast audience including those whom he was criticizing. Through his poetry, Lawrence Ferlinghetti blatantly and subtly criticized the American democratic system and politicians.

In 1957, Ferlinghetti received his first national attention.

Ferlinghetti was arrested and brought to trial as the publisher of a collection of obscene poetry, Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg (Alspaugh 1148).

Eventually he was cleared of the charges of “publishing and sale of obscene writings.” Since his involvement in the obscenity trial, Ferlinghetti became quite cynical of the government. After the trial ended, Lawrence Ferlinghetti canceled all government grants coming to him and to any writers under his publishing house. Currently he still disallows the acceptance of government grants to any of his writers (Alspaugh 1146). Economically speaking,

Ferlinghetti did benefit from the trial. The publicity created by the trial attracted new names to New Directions Publishing. The publicity also was great enough to propel Lawrence Ferlinghetti's image to the degree where he could successfully release his second collection of poetry, A Coney Island of the Mind.

In most of Ferlinghetti's work, he has shown a concern with political issues. “

His poetry often addresses political subjects...” (Nasso 196). The Kennedy

Assassination, McCarthyism and the Vietnam conflict were all topics in several

Ferlinghetti poems (Oppenheimer 136). Lawrence Ferlinghetti's past incidents involving the government influenced his poetry and consequentially he has little respect for government. “Ferlinghetti's... poetry offered blatant tirades against the destructive tendencies of America's political leadership” (Trosky

136).

Politics are themes in virtually all of Ferlinghetti's works.