Disappear Quote by Allen Ginsberg
““Where are we going, Walt Whitman? The doors close in an hour. Which way does your beard point tonight? (I touch your book and dream of our odyssey in the supermarket and feel absurd.) Will we walk all night through solitary streets? The trees add shade to shade, lights out in the houses, we'll both be lonely. Will we stroll dreaming of the lost America of love past blue automobiles in driveways, home to our silent cottage? Ah, dear father, graybeard, lonely old courage-teacher, what America did you have when Charon quit poling his ferry and you got out on a smoking bank and stood watching the boat disappear on the black waters of Lethe?””
About This Quote
Source Poem: Untitled, 1965, manuscript fragment
A surreal meditation on aging, memory, and the loss of a mythic America, blending personal longing with mythic imagery.
In simple terms: Reflects on loss and yearning for meaning in a changing world.
Key Takeaway
Embrace the present while honoring past dreams.
Themes
loneliness
memory
myth
aging
search for meaning
Mood
melancholic
contemplative
poetic
Type
literary
philosophical
reflective
When to use this quote
- late-night walks
- personal reflection
- creative writing
- urban exploration
- contemplating mortality
Key Concepts
existentialism
nostalgia
mythology
identity
time
Questions to Reflect On
- What does “America” symbolize for you?
- How do you confront the passage of time?
A Different Perspective
The abstract style may obscure concrete guidance for action.
![“If you were lost for America, there is nobody who could keep the army and the revolution [going] for six months.” quote by Marquis de Lafayette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/aa1/marquis-de-lafayette-9735_america_if-you-were-lost-for-america-there-is-no_138543.jpg)
