From Whitman to Ginsberg

Paper Summary:

Both Walt Whitman and Alan Ginsberg have been denigrated for their sexual preferences and that homophobia has spilled over into the criticism concerning their literary works. This paper compares and contrasts the experiences of both authors in their respective eras. It discusses the problems critics faced when evaluating the poetry of two outspoken, brilliant men, and the charges of obscenity leveled against them time after time.

From the Paper:

"The trend toward acceptance of Whitman's homosexuality in the critical evaluation of his work has produced a plethora of critical reviews focusing on homosexuality as a basis for the work. Just as previous critics attempted to ignore or minimize Whitman's sexuality, the early reviews of later critics often "read like catalogs of sex acts" (Reynolds 490). Current approaches appear to reflect the social consciousness with regard to homosexuality. With the advent of gay pride and queer studies, the critics have come to consider Whitman's sexuality as part of the work. If the current trend continues, Whitman may eventually be viewed as "a poet who was a homosexual, not a homosexual who wrote poems" (Street 12)."

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