A-Supermarket-in-California.ppt

A Supermarket in CaliforniaBy Allen Ginsberg1 1-Bion nHe was born in Newark in 1926 and died in 1997.He was born in Newark in 1926 and died in 1997.n nHis early life was troubled because of his mothers battle with mental illness His early life was troubled because of his mothers battle with mental illness and this informed his poems.and this informed his poems.n nHe traveled extensively throughout the world and was expelled from many He traveled extensively throughout the world and was expelled from many communist countries(most notably Cuba)for being subversive,these communist countries(most notably Cuba)for being subversive,these travels influenced his work.travels influenced his work.n nHe won the National Book award for He won the National Book award for The Fall of AmericaThe Fall of America,and was awarded,and was awarded the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Cultural ministry.the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Cultural ministry.n nHis poem“Howl”was(and is)the source of much controversy over what His poem“Howl”was(and is)the source of much controversy over what some consider to be obscene themes and words.It and other poems like it some consider to be obscene themes and words.It and other poems like it was responsible for the repeal of many anti-obscenity laws.It remains his was responsible for the repeal of many anti-obscenity laws.It remains his most famous work.most famous work.n nHe was also a musician and appears on The Clashs album“Combat Rock.”He was also a musician and appears on The Clashs album“Combat Rock.”n nHe wrote“A Supermarket in California”in 1955 while living in Berkley.He wrote“A Supermarket in California”in 1955 while living in Berkley.2 2-A Supermarket in CaliforniaWhat thoughts I have of you tonight,Walt Whitman,forWhat thoughts I have of you tonight,Walt Whitman,forI walked down the sidestreets under the trees with a headacheI walked down the sidestreets under the trees with a headacheself-conscious looking at the full moon.self-conscious looking at the full moon.In my hungry fatigue,and shopping for images,I wentIn my hungry fatigue,and shopping for images,I wentinto the neon fruit supermarket,dreaming of your enumerations!into the neon fruit supermarket,dreaming of your enumerations!What peaches and what penumbras!Whole familiesWhat peaches and what penumbras!Whole familiesshopping at night!Aisles full of husbands!Wives in theshopping at night!Aisles full of husbands!Wives in theavocados,babies in the tomatoes!-and you,Garcia Lorca,whatavocados,babies in the tomatoes!-and you,Garcia Lorca,whatwere you doing down by the watermelons?were you doing down by the watermelons?I saw you,Walt Whitman,childless,lonely old grubber,I saw you,Walt Whitman,childless,lonely old grubber,poking among the meats in the refrigerator and eyeing the grocerypoking among the meats in the refrigerator and eyeing the groceryboys.boys.I heard you asking questions of each:Who killed theI heard you asking questions of each:Who killed thepork chops?What price bananas?Are you my Angel?pork chops?What price bananas?Are you my Angel?I wandered in and out of the brilliant stacks of cansI wandered in and out of the brilliant stacks of cansfollowing you,and followed in my imagination by the storefollowing you,and followed in my imagination by the storedetective.detective.We strode down the open corridors together in ourWe strode down the open corridors together in oursolitary fancy tasting artichokes,possessing every frozensolitary fancy tasting artichokes,possessing every frozendelicacy,and never passing the cashier.delicacy,and never passing the cashier.3 3-A Supermarket in CaliforniaWhere are we going,Walt Whitman?The doors close inWhere are we going,Walt Whitman?The doors close inan hour.Which way does your beard point tonight?an hour.Which way does your beard point tonight?(I touch your book and dream of our odyssey in the(I touch your book and dream of our odyssey in thesupermarket and feel absurd.)supermarket and feel absurd.)Will we walk all night through solitary streets?TheWill we walk all night through solitary streets?Thetrees add shade to shade,lights out in the houses,well both betrees add shade to shade,lights out in the houses,well both belonely.lonely.Will we stroll dreaming of the lost America of loveWill we stroll dreaming of the lost America of lovepast blue automobiles in driveways,home to our silent cottage?past blue automobiles in driveways,home to our silent cottage?Ah,dear father,graybeard,lonely old courage-teacher,Ah,dear father,graybeard,lonely old courage-teacher,what America did you have when Charon quit poling his ferry andwhat America did you have when Charon quit poling his ferry andyou got out on a smoking bank and stood watching the boatyou got out on a smoking bank and stood watching the boatdisappear on the black waters of Lethe?disappear on the black waters of Lethe?4 4-Allen Ginsberg Reads“A Supermarket in California”n nYouTube-Allen Ginsberg-A Supermarket In California5 5-The Speakern nThe speaker is educated,but appears to be a lonely broken man.n nHe is searching for meaning and something beautiful,something natural in modern America.6 6-The Subjectn nThe poem deals with the loss of the old America,the America that could have inspired Whitman.n nWe see through the speaker the alienation and homogenization of modern America,and the speakers sadness about what he can never experience due to the unfortunate timing of his birth.7 7-Images n nThe first images we see are inside the The first images we see are inside the supermarket,where the speaker remarks on the supermarket,where the speaker remarks on the produce and the“Aisles full of husbands!Wives produce and the“Aisles full of husbands!Wives in the avocados,babies in the tomatoes!”in the avocados,babies in the tomatoes!”n nHe compares the shopping families to the He compares the shopping families to the produce,because to him they are no differentproduce,because to him they are no differentno important story,no distinction deeper than no important story,no distinction deeper than age or sex.age or sex.8 8-Images cont.n nGarcia Lorca is inserted as a contrast to the shoppers.He was a Spanish poet in the thirties whose works were censored by the fascist government of Franco after his death.He is a symbol of repressed art in America,and the speaker expresses surprise to see him out in the open and in a soulless supermarket.9 9-Images cont.n nWalt Whitman is a symbol of the old America,the Walt Whitman is a symbol of the old America,the America that the speaker wants to live in.He is America that the speaker wants to live in.He is described as an old fool who demands things no one described as an old fool who demands things no one asks or cares about anymore“Who killed the pork asks or cares about anymore“Who killed the pork chops?”trying to find the story behind what he is buying chops?”trying to find the story behind what he is buying although there no longer is any story behind anything in although there no longer is any story behind anything in the supermarket.the supermarket.n nHe is portrayed this way because according to the He is portrayed this way because according to the speaker a man like Whitman would not be able to speaker a man like Whitman would not be able to remain sane in modern society,he would be reduced to remain sane in modern society,he would be reduced to a doddering old fool who wanders the supermarket at a doddering old fool who wanders the supermarket at night.night.1010-Images cont.n nThe blue automobiles further the sense of conformity in America,the way it is stated implies that all of the cars are blue and the same.n nThe entire last stanza uses mythological characters and settings to add a sense of grandeur to the death of Whitman.1111-Organizationn nFive stanzasn nFree versen nMostly long sentences broken up by commas with a few breaks of short exclamations,or questions.1212-Organizationn nI divided it into four sections:I divided it into four sections:n nFirst stanza(lines 1-9),the speaker describes the supermarket and First stanza(lines 1-9),the speaker describes the supermarket and its patrons.its patrons.n nSecond stanza(lines 10-20)The speaker“meets”Walt Whitman and Second stanza(lines 10-20)The speaker“meets”Walt Whitman and follows him through his dazed supermarket journey.follows him through his dazed supermarket journey.n nQuestioning(lines 21-29)The speaker questions“Whitman”about Questioning(lines 21-29)The speaker questions“Whitman”about the literal plan for their night,and indirectly the reader“Where are the literal plan for their night,and indirectly the reader“Where are we going,Walt Whitman?”This section is meant to question the we going,Walt Whitman?”This section is meant to question the course of modern America.course of modern America.n nThe Death of Walt Whitman(lines 30-34)this brings the central The Death of Walt Whitman(lines 30-34)this brings the central question of the poem out“What America did you have,”it questions question of the poem out“What America did you have,”it questions both the existence of the America both the speaker and Whitman both the existence of the America both the speaker and Whitman yearn for,and our own modern America;the speaker is asking the yearn for,and our own modern America;the speaker is asking the reader directly about what America they have.reader directly about what America they have.1313-Diction and Syntaxn nThe use of long sentences gives the poem the feel of an older work,The use of long sentences gives the poem the feel of an older work,possibly from the time of Walt Whitman.This impression is reinforced by possibly from the time of Walt Whitman.This impression is reinforced by the elevated language used(enumerations,penumbras,etc.)the elevated language used(enumerations,penumbras,etc.)n nThe poem is told in the past tense because the speaker is reflecting upon The poem is told in the past tense because the speaker is reflecting upon his experience,which he realizes is absurd when he finds the real Whitman his experience,which he realizes is absurd when he finds the real Whitman represented by the book.This is done to highlight the questions which are represented by the book.This is done to highlight the questions which are in the present“Where in the present“Where areare we going,”“we going,”“WillWill we stroll.”The questions are in we stroll.”The questions are in the present because the speaker means for them to transcend the specific the present because the speaker means for them to transcend the specific circumstances of the poem and become questions the reader is supposed to circumstances of the poem and become questions the reader is supposed to ask himself.ask himself.n nThe other instance that the present is used is in the description of the The other instance that the present is used is in the description of the supermarket.It is used there because those shoppers and their actions are supermarket.It is used there because those shoppers and their actions are interchangeable with all other shoppers at all times.interchangeable with all other shoppers at all times.n nThe observations at the supermarket are also given exclamation points to The observations at the supermarket are also given exclamation points to convey the feeling that everything in modern America is loud,full of false convey the feeling that everything in modern America is loud,full of false excitment,and right NOW!excitment,and right NOW!1414-Conclusionn n“A Supermarket in California”is a poem that is meant to“A Supermarket in California”is a poem that is meant to question the notions that modernization is better and question the notions that modernization is better and that all progress is good progress.It bemoans the that all progress is good progress.It bemoans the prevailing ideas of fast,cheap,mass produced.It yearns prevailing ideas of fast,cheap,mass produced.It yearns for a simpler time,a time that could produce men like for a simpler time,a time that could produce men like Walt Whitman the“old courage-teacher”who not only Walt Whitman the“old courage-teacher”who not only was a symbol of old America,but also is a symbol of was a symbol of old America,but also is a symbol of non-conformism and protest.The America seen by the non-conformism and protest.The America seen by the poem is one devoid of art and of true human expression.poem is one devoid of art and of true human expression.It encourages us to question,to work for change,and to It encourages us to question,to work for change,and to appreciate the few remaining vestiges of the“lost appreciate the few remaining vestiges of the“lost America of love”America of love”1515-A Supermarket in CaliforniaWhat thoughts I have of you tonight,Walt Whitman,forWhat thoughts I have of you tonight,Walt Whitman,forI walked down the sidestreets under the trees with a headacheI walked down the sidestreets under the trees with a headacheself-conscious looking at the full moon.self-conscious looking at the full moon.In my hungry fatigue,and shopping for images,I wentIn my hungry fatigue,and shopping for images,I wentinto the neon fruit supermarket,dreaming of your enumerations!into the neon fruit supermarket,dreaming of your enumerations!What peaches and what penumbras!Whole familiesWhat peaches and what penumbras!Whole familiesshopping at night!Aisles full of husbands!Wives in theshopping at night!Aisles full of husbands!Wives in theavocados,babies in the tomatoes!-and you,Garcia Lorca,whatavocados,babies in the tomatoes!-and you,Garcia Lorca,whatwere you doing down by the watermelons?were you doing down by the watermelons?I saw you,Walt Whitman,childless,lonely old grubber,I saw you,Walt Whitman,childless,lonely old grubber,poking among the meats in the refrigerator and eyeing the grocerypoking among the meats in the refrigerator and eyeing the groceryboys.boys.I heard you asking questions of each:Who killed theI heard you asking questions of each:Who killed thepork chops?What price bananas?Are you my Angel?pork chops?What price bananas?Are you my Angel?I wandered in and out of the brilliant stacks of cansI wandered in and out of the brilliant stacks of cansfollowing you,and followed in my imagination by the storefollowing you,and followed in my imagination by the storedetective.detective.We strode down the open corridors together in ourWe strode down the open corridors together in oursolitary fancy tasting artichokes,possessing every frozensolitary fancy tasting artichokes,possessing every frozendelicacy,and never passing the cashier.delicacy,and never passing the cashier.1616-A Supermarket in CaliforniaWhere are we going,Walt Whitman?The doors close inWhere are we going,Walt Whitman?The doors close inan hour.Which way does your beard point tonight?an hour.Which way does your beard point tonight?(I touch your book and dream of our odyssey in the(I touch your book and dream of our odyssey in thesupermar