In Back Of The Real - A poem by Allen Ginsberg

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

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Added: Feb 20 2003 | Viewed: 14156 times |

Comments (4)

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 4 of 4, added on May 16th, 2013 at 10:59 AM. Poetry Thoughts This poem is very heart moving. It struck me how much little things can matter. I think that little things are very important. One little thing is eating and drinking in class. I will never do it again. Cristian Romero from Germany Comment 3 of 4, added on November 4th, 2008 at 5:28 PM. I think the poem is saying that although the flower is ugly, it has to potential of being something beautiful. Although the world in not a beautiful place sometimes, it's still our world, and that's something beautiful in itself. Kelley from United States Comment 2 of 4, 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 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 4 comments. Click here to read them, and perhaps post a comment of your own.

Poem Info
Poet: Allen Ginsberg Poem: In Back Of The Real Volume: Howl and Other Poems Year: Published/Written in 1954 Last read: 2013-05-23 07:45:47 Poem of the Day: Jun 21 2003 Viewed 14156 times. Added Feb 20 2003.

Ginsberg Info
Biography More Poems (40 poems) Allen Ginsberg books