Alarm clock Quote by Allen Ginsberg
““..who threw their watches off the roof to cast their ballot for an Eternity outside of Time, and alarm clocks fell on their heads every day for the next decade, who cut their wrists three times successively unsuccessfully, gave up and were forced to open antique stores where they thought they were growing old and cried, who were burned alive in their innocent flannel suits on Madison Avenue amid blasts of leaden verse and the tanked-up clatter of the iron regiments of fashion and the nitroglycerine shrieks of the fairies of advertising and the mustard gas of sinister intelligent editors, or were run down by the drunken taxicabs of Absolute Reality..””
About This Quote
Source Poem: Howl, by Allen Ginsberg, 1956
A vivid, chaotic depiction of desperate artists and activists confronting oppressive societal forces and personal despair.
In simple terms: Artists struggle against oppressive society and personal despair.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and resist systemic oppression.
Themes
art
rebellion
despair
societal critique
mental health
Mood
angsty
defiant
somber
Type
poetic
political
When to use this quote
- street protests
- creative work
- mental health crises
- media manipulation
- urban decay
Key Concepts
existentialism
capitalism critique
madness
creative sacrifice
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we transform artistic anguish into constructive change?
- What responsibilities do creators have toward their audiences?
A Different Perspective
The imagery may romanticize suffering, overlooking practical solutions.
