nsberg's many frank and open admissions of his own activities and personality. Homosexuality, the use of illegal drugs, and a lack of respect for the politics of his society were taboo in the America of the 1950s and 60s and Ginsberg delights in highlighting these activities, a major part of his own life, in his poetry.
             In "America" Ginsberg reveals many of his complaints about his country. His disgust at the nuclear arms race, prevalent at the time, emerges early in "America". In line 5 he tells his country to "go fuck yourself with your atom bomb". In a humorous if satirical way Ginsberg, in line 16, then wonders "When can I go into the supermarket and buy what I need with my good looks?" Here Ginsberg belies the superficial nature of his fellow Americans. Ginsberg's love of 'shock value' asserts itself in admitting in line 29 that "I used to be a communist" and again in line 30 "I smoke marijuana every chance I get". In 1950s America these would have been seen as very controversial statements to make publicly. It is for these reasons that Ginsberg was thought of as a dangerous poet and disliked by conservative Americans. Marcus Cunliffe says Ginsberg's work is a "dangerously attractive kind of poetry for the legion of young Americans who want to be the great writers but have no talent except the talent (temporary, alas) for being young" (The Literature of the United States).
             Midway through the poem, line 48, Ginsberg, in a parody of Whitman who saw himself as the American voice, claims "It occurs to me that I am America". Unlike Whitman, however, Ginsberg continues this line of thought in line 53 by insulting the country that he is "My national resources consist of two joints of marijuana millions of genitals". In line 61 he continues this abusive line of thought by claiming that the American public would have poet...