A Formalist Approach on A Supermarket in California by Allen Ginsberg Essay Example for Free

A Formalist Approach on A Supermarket in California by Allen Ginsberg EssayAllen Ginsberg is considered to be one of the most influential poet of every(prenominal) time. He is regarded one of the most influential personalities of the beat generation during the 1950s and 1960s. His works became known for assaulting the commonplace conformity and materialism in the United States during his time. One of his best known work is the poem A Supermarket in California. It would be very interesting to approach a work of Ginsberg according to formalist standards.A formalist approach the work of Ginsberg would only identify to us that he deliberately breaks-off from the conventions batch by formalism. According to the cadence of formalism, an art work should only be judged according to the set conventions of its form. Poetry under formalism could too be considered as traditional poetry. In poetry, formalism would be more concerned with the form, rhyme scheme, and meter. Ginsbergs A Supermarket in California violates many formalist standards.It would be important to note that the poem is not metered and thither is no apparent end rhymes. The poem is actually written in long lines following the free-verse form. Free-verse is in general considered as an open genre of poetry wherein structure, rhyme, and meter are not prioritized (Lawlor 208). Reading orally would reveal to us that the poem is intended to be read. The poem takes on a poetic yet colloquial tone.However, an interesting survey about free-verse is that there is still some sense of control, something that holds the poem together, namely the fiction. In this particular aspect of the poem, some sense of standard is found, therefore quasi-formalist. Ginsberg had used the supermarket as a metaphor for the society, wherein people are just produce aisles full of husbands / wives in the avocados / babies in the tomatoes. Ginsberg had portrayed Walt Whitman and Garcia Lorca as shoppers in the neon fruit supermarket.It should be noted that Whitman and Lorca are regarded as two of the greatest poets in the tarradiddle of literature. The metaphor is suggesting that the society is abundant with people whom poets could pick as an inspiration of their works. Another important aspect to be considered is that Allen Ginsberg is heavily associated with the beat generation, a group of writers dedicated to subvert the standards set by formalists (Lawlor 340).Without a doubt, Ginsbergs work on A Supermarket in California would not pass the standards of formalist poetry. However, we must set Ginsbergs poem within its context. The audience Ginsberg had was not entertained by formalist poetry. That is why he had written the poem in a simple and conversational manner. This is one of most admirable aspects of Allen Ginsbergs poetry. after(prenominal) all, it all boils down to priority. A poet should decide which is more important, the message of the poem or the form?