In Back Of The Real - A poem by Allen Ginsberg


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Allen Ginsberg - In Back Of The Real

railroad yard in San Jose 
     I wandered desolate 
in front of a tank factory 
     and sat on a bench 
near the switchman's shack. 

A flower lay on the hay on 
     the asphalt highway 
--the dread hay flower 
     I thought--It had a 
brittle black stem and 
     corolla of yellowish dirty 
spikes like Jesus' inchlong 
     crown, and a soiled 
dry center cotton tuft 
     like a used shaving brush 
that's been lying under 
     the garage for a year. 

Yellow, yellow flower, and 
     flower of industry, 
tough spiky ugly flower, 
     flower nonetheless, 
with the form of the great yellow 
     Rose in your brain! 
This is the flower of the World.  

                         San Jose, 1954

Added: on June 8th, 2006 at 9:37 AM | Viewed: 7257 times | Comments and analysis of In Back Of The Real by Allen Ginsberg Comments (2)

In Back Of The Real - Comments and Information
Poet: Allen Ginsberg Poem: In Back Of The Real Volume: Howl and Other Poems Year: Published/Written in 1954 Poem of the Day: Jun 21 2003 Comment 2 of 2, added on June 15th, 2006 at 1:13 AM. This poem is a very powerfull poem. Ginsberg is saying that the world is brain washed to think that this is a great yellow rose. When he explaned this rose as a very ugly thin. Much like the world is looked at as very beautifull, when if you take a look around it is very ugly. He is saying that something needs to be changed. M. Van Gorden from United States Comment 1 of 2, added on June 8th, 2006 at 9:37 AM. This poem represents a dirty flower's spirit that is tough.But the deep meaning I couldn't find out without the background. cheerw from China More Comments >> Are you looking for more information on this poem? Perhaps you are trying to analyze it? The poem, In Back Of The Real, has received 2 comments. Click here to read them, and perhaps post a comment of your own. Of course you can also always discuss poems by Allen Ginsberg with others on the American Poems poetry forum!

Poem Info
Poet: Allen Ginsberg Poem: In Back Of The Real Volume: Howl and Other Poems Year: Published/Written in 1954 Last read: Jul 25 2008, 4:23PM Poem of the Day: Jun 21 2003 Viewed 7257 times. Added on June 8th, 2006 at 9:37 AM.

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