Allen Ginsberg’s Infatuation with Whitman

Source:
https://sketchesonliterature.wordpress.com/2013/09/30/ginsbergs-supermarket-vs-whitmans-america-an-analysis/

Much like with any group of people, the queer community has had an incredibly /hvaried response to Whitman’s work over the years. Many see his work as revolutionary — a stepping stone for many in the queer community and a huge influence in their work. Many see his work as grotesque sprawls — a racially charged mess of words that poorly represents the queer community. It is safe to say that at the positive end of the spectrum, Allen Ginsberg leads the charge for the positive Whitman outlook in the poetic community. In Ginsberg’s poem, “A Supermarket in California“, Ginsberg expresses his infatuation with old Walt Whitman and contextualizes his presence in a modern setting. Along with this, Ginsberg also expresses the trials and tribulations of being a part of the queer community.

Ginsberg starts off the poem, easily enough by saying “What thoughts I have of you tonight, Walt Whitman”. With this opening line, Ginsberg immediately sets the intimate stage of the poem and demonstrates his infatuation with Whitman. To him, Whitman is the first thing he thinks about on this metaphorical night out. Later on in his poem, Ginsberg continues to demonstrate his infatuation in Whitman through his expression of Whitman’s eyeing of the grocery boys and his boyish ignorance. He states: “I saw you, Walt Whitman, childless, lonely old grubber, / poking among the meats in the refrigerator and eyeing the / grocery boys”. In his mind, Ginsberg sees Walt Whitman as a old, queer man who is trying to hide his true feelings for men. He imagines Whitman as hiding among the meats as he eyes the grocery boys from a far. This section serves as a reflection of Whitman’s own work as his work seems to try and hide its queer undertones underneath its text, with to no such avail. To Ginsberg and the reader, these queer undertones are obviously apparent and thus makes Ginsberg even more infatuated with Whitman’s character.  Along with this, Ginsberg also seems to be entranced by Whitman’s boyish charm and ignorance with the lines, ” I heard you asking questions of each: Who killed the / pork chops? What price bananas? Are you my Angel?”. With these lines, Ginsberg shows the reader Whitman’s ignorance to simple things like the price of bananas. This section can also be read as a reference to Whitman’s ignorance of other cultures as his poems tended to attempt to share knowledge into the experiences of minorities. In this section, Ginsberg acknowledges Whitman’s shortcomings, but is still, nevertheless, infatuated by him.

Ginsberg continues to share to the reader his delectable fancy towards Whitman through his diction towards the foods of the supermarket later on in the poem.  Ginsberg states, “We strode down the open corridors together in our / solitary fancy tasting artichokes, possessing every frozen / delicacy, and never passing the cashier”. Words like fancy tasting and delicacy connotate a sweet, delectable relationship between Whitman and Ginsberg. They stroll through the supermarket as if they are lovers. Along with this, Ginsberg later demonstrates the tribulations of living as a queer man. He states, “Will we walk all night through solitary streets? The trees / add shade to shade, lights out in the houses, we’ll both be / lonely”. These lines show Ginsberg’s mindset towards being a queer man in public. He and Whitman have to “add shade to shade” as they stay hidden from the rest of the “normal” world. To Ginsberg, they must hide who they truly are. Along with this insinuates that this act of keeping to the shadows with their relationship will ultimately make them both lonely as they are unable to share their relationship with others. He continues by saying, “Will we stroll dreaming of the lost America of love past / blue automobiles in driveways, home to our silent cottage”. Ginsberg and Whitman stroll past the ideal American home to their own “silent cottage” away from the average home.

With this poem, Ginsberg demonstrates his profound infatuation with Walt Whitman and also demonstrates the struggles of being a queer man. With a controversial figure such as Whitman, Ginsberg steps past Whitman’s shortcomings  and chooses to focus and restructure Whitman’s shortcomings as boyish charm and ignorance due to the time period he lived in.