"Geben Sie mir Kaffee, dann mache ich Phänomenologie daraus." (Give me my coffee so that I can make phenomenology out of it.)
-- Edmund Husserl
Monday, September 29, 2014
Ginsberg's "A Supermarket in California"
Give and explain your interpretation of Ginsberg's "A Supermarket in California". Please post in a comment.
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Anonymous
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A supermarket in California
This poem is about Allen is expressing how he feels about society in the 50's, in that period of time people weren't accepted of who they really are, since being gay was considered a disease. He is eyeing the grocery boys, so he actually seeing all this boy, with this he saying he is gay, so his feeling are all mix up because he hasn't being accepted to this society, in the text he is self-conscious about things that goes around his mind, all this he is seeing at the market its how he wants them to be, he isn't facing reality, he isn't satisfied with the world or what he wants to see, when he is looking at the full moon self conscious he looking actually for a new time. so basically all this text is about how he want the world to be and society to accept who he is.
This poem is about the journey the world has undergone through the past decade, and how it has effected the way people live. In this new post war world of fake “images” and “neon” supermarkets, the few who choose to question the new ways of society and challenge social norms are outcast and become “lonely” people. Instead of frolicking in the produce section that is fresh and brimming with life, Whitman instead decides to inspect the meats where everything is dead. The supermarket itself represents how the world has become a bright and flashy display of families, perfection, and overall well being for the humans who inhabit this new world. The moon in this poem represents the imminent change that is about to occur; because this poem is post war, the world is in a point of transition. After the war, people are left “hungry” and unsatisfied with the world. This new America is full of shiny cars, lively markets, and beautiful homes, but inside those homes is nothing but darkness. The love has been stolen from this new, wounded, war torn society, and as a coping mechanism, feeling and simplicity has been removed from the equation.
Allen Ginsberg depicts an individual in society that is aware of the fake and phoniness appearance of the new upcoming world in his poem “A Supermarket in California.” The "neon" supermarket illustrates where one purchases the freshest and newest items based on appearance. Significantly, Ginsberg addresses that supermarkets can also be a place to shop for images. The families in the poem symbolize freshness with their babies and an another example that is not in the poem can be fresh newly-weds who become a family. “Home to our silent cottage” demonstrates the traditional lifestyle of the narrator. Cottages generally are old and completely not new. Ginsberg produces the narrator throughout the poem with the awareness of the false appearances that surround the world and society in the 1950s. The poem ends with a boat leaving which symbolically represents leaving a much simpler life where phoniness and appearances don’t occur.
Walt Whitman, a profound poet, was looked at as a mentor and influential figure by the narrator of this poem who we can assume is the author, Allen Ginsberg. As the narrator follows Whitman through the “neon fruit supermarket (Ginsberg. 1955.)", which is a metaphor for the artificial societal world that has replaced “the lost America of love. (Ginsberg. 1955).” In the poem, Whitman is metaphorically wandering around the supermarket with the narrator following his every move, portraying Ginsberg admiration for him. Considering Whitman and Ginsberg are gay, this brings me to deduce that Ginsberg was analyzing the way Whitman was living his life. The author continues to notice the loneliness he and Whitman both experience, portraying his realization that being gay is not socially accepted. The poem ends with a metaphor, stating that Whitman is “watching the boat disappear on the black waters of Lethe. (Ginsberg. 1955.)” A simpler life is gone and a flashy, synthetic world has emerged.
Allen Ginsberg depicts a crowded, flashy fruit supermarket in the poem A Supermarket in California. “Neon”, “brilliant stacks of cans”, “fancy tasting artichokes” and numerous fresh fruit all represent the distractions from this material world. People enjoy on the rich material life, satisfied by the diverse choices on the materials, but forget and lose the original simpleness and happiness. More and more people are absorbed by worldly pursuits and pleasures. The poets are depressed, because he has very different ideas and perspectives from most people around him. “Headache self-conscious” shows that Allen Ginsberg feels alone in the society because he cannot find anyone to share his ideas. On the other hand, “headache”, “hungry fatigue” are also Ginsberg’s disappointment and dissatisfaction. He cannot be satisfied by the society and the people around him. He is hungry mentally, because this society is full of modern goods but loses the beauty of nature and spirits. He mentions Walt Whitman, who is another lonely soul wandering in this overcrowded world. Ginsberg and Whitman are both out of the meretricious world; they are more focused on feeling and mental development. They both have free spirits, having emotional and spiritual pursuits. However, modernization kills people’s imagination. Allen Ginsberg is mourning for the soul of the society, because people are lost in the material world.
Taken place during the 1950’s in post war, the poem depicts the world as a “neon fruit supermarket” which signifies how the main character views the world as a flashy and pretentious place. Allen Ginsberg in the poem can be seen as unsatisfied and “lonely” guy who with his “hungry fatigue” is looking for something. As he ventures throughout the market mentally craving for something and “never passing the cashier”, self-conscious and with a headache, he goes from being excited and happy about the wives, babies, and husbands, which represents how the world used to be alive and fresh. But as he transitions into the meat department, he portrays how society has become lifeless and dull. At this point, Allen’s loneliness can be interpreted by his unhappiness and utter discontent with the way society has turned out. A poet by the name of Walt Whitman is mentioned in the poem, who is similar to Allen, is wandering around the market (world) feeling all alone in society, too. His hungry fatigue may be wanting to be accepted by society and having societal norm standards.
The poem A Supermarket in California was written by Allen Ginsberg in 1956. It is about how the society has effected the way people live at that time period and also expresses the feeling from Allen towards the society in 1950s. The poem is depicting a fancy and “neon” fruit supermarket with “brilliant stacks of cans”, “fancy tasting artichokes” and “frozen delicacy”. Allen reveals the world and society that are surrounded and covered by awareness of the false appearances and phoniness by using the symbol of “supermarket”. In the poem, Allen makes stabs at capitalist America with “shopping for images”, he feels “headache” and in a “hungry fatigue” which means that he is disappointed for more and more people showing their desires, ambitions and satisfy of masteries. However, Whitman gives him a vision for another kind of life by finding the nature beauty with the “tasting artichokes, possessing every frozen delicacy, and never passing the cashier.” He found the pleasures with bypassing demands of profit and payment from the supermarket. Throughout the poem, Allen notices the loneliness for himself and Whitman by using “we’ll both be lonely” and the symbols of “the trees add shade to shade” and “lights out in the houses”. They do not be understood and also cannot find people who can share the vision of the natural society with. Allen Ginsberg showing his unhappiness and utter discontent with the people and society which capitalism and modernity has brought.
The narrator is struggling to find inspiration, find something to write about. He’s walking around in the night, trying to clear his head and imagining that Walt Whitman is with him. The narrator is hungry and tired, he’s "shopping for images" -- shopping for inspiration. His journey leads him into the supermarket where he is shopping for images; inside he notices all of the families in the produce department. And to his own irony, he imagines Garcia Lorca amongst the shoppers. He “watches” Walt Whitman, imagining him as a shopper and what he would be doing if he were there. The narrator envisions him “poking among the meats in the refrigerator and eyeing the grocery boys,” alluding to the author’s sexuality and imagining how he would act in this ordinary situation. The narrator wanders throughout the store, picturing that he’s following this literary figure and then he imagines a “store detective” following him because he realizes how weird he must appear following this visionary. He continues to pursue Walt Whitman throughout the store in hopes that Whitman will point him in the direction of inspiration: “where are we going, Walt Whitman? Which way does your beard point tonight?” The narrator “feels absurd” as he carries around the work of Walt Whitman for inspiration and he realizes this aberration cannot tell him what to write about. He dreams of their journey together that will lead him to find something to write about, but realizes that he has to find his own inspiration and that following another literary figure will not take him to that point of inspiration. He walks all night through “solitary streets,“ as his thoughts are getting deeper and deeper and “the trees add shade to shade.” The narrator asks Walt Whitman, “what America did you have?” meaning, “what was your environment like? What inspiration did your surroundings provide you with?”
This poem details how out of place the author, Allen Ginsberg, feels in the post World War II society. He describes this world or “super market” as “bright” and “neon” referring to the presence of commercialism and capitalism. From his distaste for the changed society, one can infer that Ginsberg was accustomed to the pre-war America and is foreign to the post war country. He contrasts his simple “dark and shady” world to the new commercialized one that is “neon” and “bright” multiple times throughout the poem. Ginsberg feels out of place just as he imagined Walt would be, saying that Walt was a “childless, lonely old grubber”, most likely a reflection of Ginsberg himself. Because Walt was an inspiration to Ginsberg, Ginsberg refers to him as a guide to help him navigate this new, alien world.
In Allen Ginsberg’s poem, A Super Market in California, Ginsberg depicts how modern ideas and taken over, and society has now changed, he refers to America as, “the lost America (Ginsberg, 1955).” Ginsberg was greatly influenced by the famous poet, Walt Whitman, and in this poem, the narrator is following Walt around a “neon fruit market (Ginsberg, 1955).” In this poem, the supermarket is representing the world/ society. The adjective neon is describing the supermarket, but when applying it to society, it means that society is now flashy, modern and untraditional. Both the narrator and Walt are described as lonely, even though people surround them. Whitman acts not only as a companion towards the narrator, but also as a guide and mentor. Ginsberg described him as a “courage-teacher.”
"A supermarket in California" was written in the 1950s by Allen Ginsberg. The poem raises awareness to the changes undergone in society throughout America after World War II. In the beginning of the poem, the narrator realizes that the country is bound to see a new time. He is tired and hungry for something new, so he goes to the "neon fruit supermarket" where everyone goes for new and flashy things, which portrays the new society. As he walks around, he sees whole families who have found their place in their community. He then sees Walt Whitman, a famous writer, alone, wandering around looking for his own place in society while eyeing and flirting with the grocery boys, or looking for a companion. The narrator and Whitman look at everything that is new in their society and try everything out, but they don't like any of it so they never adapt anything, hence the line, "never passing the cashier. (Ginsberg. 1955)" The last two sections of the poem pose questions as to whether or not the narrator and Walt Whitman should accept the fact that oblivion is affecting them and the past, present, and future of America. The language and references to the boat disappearing into the waters of Lethe in the last couple sentences show that he feels like this country's previous values have been forgotten as he starts to question the new values of society.
A Supermarket in California reveals Ginsberg’s interpretation of the world through an analogy of a supermarket with his model influence, Walt Whitman. During the 1950’s Ginsberg writes this poem about the world after the war. Ginsberg’s inspiration and muse for his writing was the poet Walt Whitman. In my opinion, Walt Whitman represents life and the now ever present world. Walt Whitman sees many corrupt things for example childless and lonely. These characteristics show how dreadful and unorthodox life would have been during the 1950s. Walt Whitman also “eyes” the grocery boys, showing society’s corruption like the corruption of same sex relationships. Ginsberg describes someone as inspiring and intelligent as Walt Whitman, and makes him corrupt. I think Ginsberg is trying to say how something so wonderful as the world could change in a short amount of time because of a war. Another characteristic in this poem is the immense use of questions. “Where are we going? Will we walk all through solitary streets?” I think Ginsberg asks these questions just as everyone else during that time period would have done. Citizens were going through a transition and were not sure of the result or what was the next step in the world.
Allen Ginsberg’s A Supermarket in California explains the supermarket as a metaphor for the world. Ginsberg notices the social diversity the world has come to and the differences it has made on people’s lives. He pays very close attention to little things, such as everyone paying close attention to whatever they are doing. Although Ginsberg might be explaining on the poem through the poems of Walt Whitman, he is showing that everything can change just like the products and the people in the supermarket. The supermarket represents the life we live out in the world and justifies that the world will never be as simple as it once was.
Allen Ginsberg’s “A Supermarket in California” takes place in what I perceive as a metaphorical supermarket. The narrator is in this neon, bright, flashy fruit market observing all of the families shopping there at night and following Walt Whitman around as though he was guiding him. The text is filled with exclamation points and a positive, lively vibe when it talks about the families looking at the fruits. A few lines later it says that Walt Whitman was “poking among the meats in the refrigerator and eyeing the grocery boys.” Here we see a contrast in the tone of the text. This portion seems more dead and dreary. Whitman is different from all of the others in the supermarket and strays in the opposite direction. It is made known to the reader that Whitman is lonely and seems to be searching for a companion. It appears that both the narrator and Whitman are outsiders and don’t exactly fit in to the norms of society. Every one in the supermarket seems to have a family, whereas Whitman and the narrator are both single and wandering around observing these families. They are both looking for something, “shopping for images”, and cannot seem to find exactly what they are looking for because they “never passed the cashier.” Towards the end of the poem we read that the narrator and Whitman leave the supermarket together. They exit the flashy and lively supermarket and enter the dark shady world under the trees.
This poem is about how one man, “childless” and lonely, sees the world as a fake and artificial place. He uses the idea of a “neon supermarket” to describe how parts of the world seem amazing lively in a public setting, but when once out of public, there is no longer live and happiness. As he uses exclamation points to show the happiness and liveliness in the supermarket, he transitions quickly from “What peaches and what penumbras!” to “never passing the cashier” and noticing the “frozen” delicacies. He notices that all the people are ‘not fresh’ or fake, and he never passes the cashier because he does not give into the fakeness of the world that is around him. Once he leaves the supermarket, it shows the real part of the world, dark, lonely, and somewhat evil. He knows this because he asks the question of “what America did you have when… you got out on a smoking bank and stood watching the boat disappear on the black waters of Lethe?”. The man shows his final feelings through this question because it shows that he does not give into the fakeness in the world but he sees everyone else go into Haides’s river of forgetting, which means they forget the fakeness of the world while he is staying out of everything artificial about the world.
Allen Ginsberg's famous poem, "A Supermarket in California" is written after world war II. Ginsberg, who was assumed to be the narrator of the poem writes about how different and alienated he feels from society. The supermarket he is in is described as "neon" and "bright", which is a reflection on how Ginsberg may feel during this time in society. Neon and bright objects tend to stand out in a crowd, as well as gay people like Ginsberg may have felt during this time. Walt Whitman, a very well known poet, who was also gay, was Ginsberg's mentor. Whitman is mentioned in the poem as being a "lonely old grubber" who "eyes grocery boys". Since Whitman is Ginsberg's mentor the way he describes Whitman as feeling could also be the way Ginsberg felt. GInsberg is showing his dissaproval of society throughout this poem and looks to Whitman for guidance.
In this poem the narrator is metaphorically using the neon fruit supermarket to depict society. In his “hungry fatigue” he is tired from trying to understand society and instead he tries to “shop for images” that will answer all his questions and curiosities. Meanwhile, in the supermarket he notices all these families shopping at night, but they are all in different sections of the market. Society is depicted in a categorized manner that conveys how most people automatically fall into some place in society. However, there’s Walt Whitman, “childless, lonely,” questioning civilization. He passes “the brilliant stacks of cans” and “fancy tasting artichokes… never passing the cashier,” because Walt Whitman doesn’t buy into what society offers. Through all this the narrator is attentively following him, relating to him, as he feels lonely also. The poem finishes off with his final question, “what America did you have?” while watching those disappear to the river of forgetting. Walt Whitman never gives into society and instead allows himself to be lonely to not fall into this crucial society.
In Allen Ginsberg’s poem “A Supermarket in California”, we are taken into the hectic scene of a supermarket, which is a metaphor for the fast-paced, continuous cycle of the society we are a part of. From this poem we are able to distinguish the people who are doing the norm, as opposed to the character Walt Whitman who seems to be an outcast separated from everyone else in the “neon fruit supermarket”. Walt Whitman is lonely, “eyeing the grocery boys” in the store; this allows readers to assume that Whitman is homosexual— the reason for him being isolated. Being isolated in the store serves as image to show that anyone who is different in society is outcast, and that those who continuously follow society’s customs are a part of a journey together. Allen Ginsberg is displaying that being in solitude allows individuals to refrain from buying into society’s standards, and allows them to choose the journey they wish to be on.
A Supermarket in California is an interpretation of post war society. A “neon fruit supermarket” is used as a metaphor for the artificiality of America from Ginsburg’s point of view. The supermarket depicts flashy identical families living repetitive lives, and how people who question or challenge this monotonous lifestyle become “lonely” and dark outsiders. The families come to the supermarket “hungry” for new things and images because they are always unsatisfied with their lives. The character in the poem walks into this major metaphor as a person who sees the fake reality, but does not desire to conform to it; rather he chooses to observe the outcast—Walt Whitman. Whitman is revealed to us away from the colorful produce section, and in the meat and frozen section, a lifeless aisle. The narrator eagerly follows Whitman through the supermarket, as if the poet guides him away from the phony families. Ginsburg writes that Whitman and his follower do not pass the cashier. The narrator uses this as a way to say that they both did not buy into the phony ways of the families in the artificial community. Whitman wants to make sure that the narrator does not step out of the unique boundaries that he is now so interested in. Both characters go home to their “silent” cottage where they enjoy the “lost America”, or pre war society, that they always dream of going back as an escape of the true reality that must be faced everyday.
I think the main point that Ginsberg is trying to portray is the feeling of loneliness (and self-unawareness) even when a person is surrounded by others. The narrator explains later in the poem that “we strode down the open corridors together in our solitary” which can only point to the fact that the protagonist is with someone physically, but mentally, he/she is by him/herself. In this poem, the protagonist emphasizes that feeling when he describes the ‘whole families’ in the supermarket. It also represents the conformity that people can have n a society. Even though they are all in the supermarket, each different member of every family is doing something different. This idea of loneliness can also be portrayed as individuality, yet at the same time, conformity. The husbands are all in the same spot, away from their wives and children, but together with the other husbands, as is the situation with the wives and the children. Another example of conformity in this poem is when the protagonist and Walt Whitman (the author’s literary inspiration) are strolling down the aisles of the supermarket taking samples of the food that they should be buying. Normally, when people go into a supermarket, they do so to buy food. In this case, the two main characters are breaking out of tradition and simply tasting whatever they feel like. They pass by the cashier with nothing to buy. In this case, the narrator and Walt Whitman are actually defying the conformity of the supermarket. This supermarket can be seen as a society because of how the people are layed out. The husbands being all together could represent how they go to work; the wives may be staying and cleaning the homes; the children may be in day care. However, Walt Whitman and the protagonist are not any of those three types of people and they are not doing what any of those people are doing.
In the poem, A Supermarket in California, author Allen Ginsberg uses the metaphor of a supermarket to discuss the changes of America post World War II. According to the narrator, who is living in “lost America”, he constantly feels “hungry fatigue”, showing that something is missing from his life, but he does not want to continue to look for it. As the narrator tries to shop for “images”, he is searching his identity that has been changed by the ways of society. All of the people in the narrator’s society have adapted to their new lifestyles of renewed brightness with: “peaches”, “avocado”, and “tomatoes”. The narrator shows that he is still stuck in his old ways of life, as he is “poking around the meats”, while the rest of the families are in the “neon supermarket”. Ginsberg shows that the narrator is trapped in a way of life which focuses on appearances of things as well as other people.
The poem, A Supermarket in California, by Allen Ginsberg has nothing to do with an actual supermarket, but rather discusses a more predominate issue in which he compares to an everyday task, such as visiting the supermarket. Every single person that is located inside of this supermarket takes possession of a specific task, except for Walt Whitman and the narrator. The narrator is “shopping for images”, and it so happens that Walt Whitman is his inspiration. Whitman and the Narrator “strode down the open corridor together in [their] solitary fancy”, evaluating everything that the supermarket had to offer, but later come to the conclusion that they did not want anything to do with it. The supermarket ultimately represents a flawless society, other wise known as a ‘perfect world’. Every person possesses a predetermined role and owns the same “past blue automobile in the driveway”. The narrator chooses not to participate in the superficial activities taking place in the supermarket because he is in desperate search for literary inspiration and yearns to be unique.
In the poem, A Supermarket in California, author Allen Ginsberg uses this “supermarket” as a way to describe what society (the supermarket) was like after the events of World War II. Nothing was the same to him, and he felt so lonely because of this change. His loneliness stems from the fact that he seems to be the only one in society who is not “buying into” the conformity that come with the pressures from society. When he first walks into the “supermarket” he sees husbands, wives, and childs all together at the “store” but separated from one another. This relates to how things in society should be done, everything must be done with family according to the “supermarket” but then we see him all by himself walking in this “supermarket” all alone and with nothing to do, unlike the other families. Even the guard in this “supermarket” begins to follow him around because he is suspicious of Ginsberg’s actions, “and followed in my imagination by the store detective.” This man follows him around because he suspects that Ginsberg is someone who does not do things the way society wants them to be done. The recurring theme this year seems to be the fact that society is always pressuring people to become less unique and more like robots, they are being brainwashed and taken away from their values. But Ginsberg shows us that although many people feel conflicted when dealing with a situation like this, he still maintains his original beliefs. And although he went around, “tasting artichokes, possessing every frozen delicacy,” trying new things to see if he felt better, he never bought into what this “supermarket” had to offer. Once he leaves, he asks his imaginary friend, Walt Whitman, “Which way does your beard point tonight?” He asks Walt what’s next, and surely enough, we see that they are on their way to someplace else, ready to explore the next “supermarket” they encounter.
The narrator of the poem “A Supermarket in California” by Allen Ginsberg is trying to uncover the modern ways of how people in our society live today. The word “supermarket” in the title of the poem is a metaphor. The first thought of the narrator showing how society today is like a supermarket by saying “I went into the neon fruit supermarket.” He shows how all people in our society today, are running around like no other time period. Ginsberg can be noticed as very happy and excited, but also as a depressed man. He uses many explanation points in the first section of the poem for instance, “Whole families shopping at night!” (Ginsberg) Also, in another section from the poem, Ginsberg depicts the way the narrator shows how he is very depressed by saying, “I saw you, Walt Whitman, childless, lonely old grubber, poking among the meats in the refrigerator and eyeing the grocery boys. “ (Ginsberg) The way that the narrator portrays the different foods in the novel is very interesting because he shows how many variations of food can be just like human beings.
In the poem, "A Supermarket in California" the author, Allen Ginsberg takes a step back from the conventions of society and criticizes people and the artificial world they participate in from an outside perspective of the main character, an unnamed man. The poem is set in a supermarket called "neon fruit supermarket" that acts like a mini-society. Ginsberg creates an ordinary life setting in a bustling supermarket filled with parents, children, a lonely Walt Whitman, and the main character. This unnamed man claims to be following Walt Whitman, a famous American poet, through the aisles of this supermarket because Whitman sees something that the average shoppers do not see. He crosses boundaries, acts differently, and is unorthodox within this supermarket but other shoppers do not seem to notice because they are so busy looking for and then buying groceries. Only the unnamed man takes the time to observe and follow Whitman, curious to see the point of this crossing of the boundaries. It is stated, "I wandered in and out of the brilliant stacks of cans following you, and followed in my imagination by the store detective. We strode down the corridors together in out solitary fancy tasting artichokes, possessing every frozen delicacy, and never passing the cashier." It can be inferred from the text that the two men viewed and dissected the society as a whole looking at it from outside the set boundaries which gave them insight on what everything was about in the heart of the store. What the store offered shoppers was not fulfilling enough to Whitman and the unnamed man so they left without buying anything. This is another way of saying the duo did not buy into what the supermarket was offering and just wished not to participate in a fake environment like the mini-society.
This poem begins with walking down side streets like walking down the path of life but since it is not the main road the side streets make him different from others. When he enters the supermarket, he is entering society, and it is "neon" making it sound fake or artificial and just based on appearance. The families appear to be together but are actually separated, and it shows how the men have the power because they are shopping for wives like shopping for avocados, the men have the money giving them power. As he sees all of this everything looks dead and frozen but "fancy" at the same time. As they leave this society and move outside there is solitude because no one else has moved outside of the parameters of society. The journey comes to a close and he looks back, missing the old times where things were in uniform like all the "blue automobiles". Death come in the end as Charon takes souls across the river and the boat keeps moving forward and forgetting about its past like time and people.
In this poem, Allen Ginsberg expresses his feelings about post World War II life in California. Ginsberg talks about Walt Whitman, who is a famous poet that died around fifty years prior to this poem. The narrator walks through the supermarket and talks about “neon fruit” and “shopping for images”. These quotes symbolize how fake the new society is. Once the narrator sees Walt Whitman, he describes him as lonely and “eyeing the grocery boys”. The narrator does not like the idea of this new society and how everyone is fake, he likes the idea of Walter Whitman’s time. Whitman lived in a simpler society, where nothing was fake and the families were genuine. The narrator feels stuck in this new society. He uses words that describe a feeling of misplacement, such as “lonely” and “shade”. This poems surroundings are described as dark with lots of extra shade. These surroundings show the audience how the narrator feels in this society. Ginsberg feels that this new society is the “lost America”, and he does not want to be apart of this society.
Allen Ginsberg’s “A Supermarket in California,” written in 1955, is about a man who views the world as an artificial place and attempts to understand and figure out who he truly is. The poem is set in supermarket late at night. The narrator finds himself wandering the ever-busy “neon fruit supermarket,” which he metaphorically uses to depict the artificial and lost American society he lives in. While there he observes everything going on around him, especially how happy and occupied the families, husbands, wives, and babies are. Ginsberg paints these characters in a very bright, colorful, exciting, and busy scene. The narrator is greatly inspired and influenced by American poet, Walt Whitman. In lines 4-5 he imagines that he sees Whitman wandering through the market’s meat aisle alone and eyeing/flirting with the grocery boys. Through darker colors, a monotonous tone, and desperate phrases, Ginsberg reveals Whitman’s homosexuality, loneliness, longing to find a companion. Throughout the poem, the narrator struggles with finding his true self because he is being suffocated by society’s artificiality. His cluelessness and lack of independence and confidence is shown through him constantly following Whitman and asking him what they were going to do next. It is apparent that both Whitman and the narrator are outcasts and do not fit into society very well. In the beginning of the poem, the narrator notices that everyone else in the supermarket has someone with them or have something to do, giving all of them a purpose; while he and Whitman are both lonely and wandering the market “shopping for images,” (Ginsberg) looking for something that is not necessarily tangible. Neither Whitman nor the narrator are able to find that something they were looking for because they did not give into society’s artificiality by “never passing the cashier.”
In Allen Ginsberg’s poem, “A Supermarket in California”, his usage of dark language throughout the poem, such as “solitary”, “lonely”, and “lights out”, shows that Ginsberg is speaking as an outsider in society. The “hungry fatigue” that he faces proves he is looking for something, but exhausted from looking. This leads to his wandering into the supermarket, which is a metaphor where people are searching for new ideas. Although Walt Whitman had been dead years before, Ginsberg feels a connection to him, as he imagines Whitman wandering the market by himself while others are “in the avocados...in the tomatoes!” My interpretation of this poem is that all the shoppers in the supermarket is a metaphor for Americans striving to reach the American Dream. However the poet describes the supermarket as “neon” to represent how the typical Americans focus on the artificial rather than the truth of life. Therefore, both Ginsberg and Whitman are outsiders within this artificial-driven society because they look deeper into life to find the true meaning.
I think that the "Big Idea" of this poem is the narrator's nostalgia for the "lost America" of the past. He calls to Walt Whitman to seek advice and guidance to help him, in a way, survive the new changes America begins to make after the war. He uses a supermarket as a metaphor for the old and the new. As he describes the people in the store, he mentions that they are shopping new fruit. I think that the fruit resembles the new changes that are happening, because fruit in a store always has to be fresh and new when sold. The other metaphor with food products in the supermarket is when the narrator tries the frozen foods and the meat, which are both items that have lasted a long time in the store. The narrator uses these metaphors and symbols to discuss his need to cling to the past.
According to McKenna Sandoval, Allen Ginsberg is an outsider lost in society attempting to find himself in the metaphorical supermarket, along side of his companion, Walt Whitman. I believe that an aspect of this is my interpretation of the poem but I do not believe that Whitman is an outsider like Ginsberg, like Sandoval suggested and also there is no proof that Allen Ginsberg is the speaker in this poem. Other than those details I agree with Sandoval when she writes, “The ‘hungry fatigue’ that he faces proves he is looking for something, but exhausted from looking” (Sandoval). I agree that the speaker, whoever it may be, is on the search for a true identity in a world he seems to be lost in. I agree that the speaker treats life as if he is not yet apart of it because of the exclusion the speaker faces. I also agree that the supermarket “is a metaphor where people are searching for new ideas” (Sandoval). The speaker is in the market in search of guidance, and to finally feel welcomed. The speaker finds this in Walt Whitman, like Sandoval stated: “I wandered in and out of the brilliant stacks of cans following you” (14-15). The speaker finds a connection to Walt Whitman immediately, “Where are we going, Walt Whitman?” (20). The speaker feels a deep connection that can be inferred as a role model or a crush but there is evidence to support both ways of identifying the level of lust between the two. Sandoval states that Americans in the 1950s are now only focused on the artificial “neon” aspects of life and not the truth, love, and peace ways that once were (5). I agree with this statement and think it is also referenced in the poem when the speaker is talking about walking with Walt Whitman: “Will we stroll dreaming of the lost America of love past blue automobiles in driveways, home to our silent cottage?” (27-28) The speaker believes that the war and other harsh events have destroyed the love that once was surrounding the whole American culture and now feels like an outsider to the “artificial-drive society,” because the speaker has a deeper understanding of how life should be lived (Sandoval).
According to Heather Turcios, the poem is about a man who sees the world as a “fake artificial place.” Turcios sees the meat and “frozen delicacies” as “fake” and “not fresh” people. However, I disagree with calling the speaker a “man” because do we really know if the speaker is a man or a woman? But, I would like to add that the significance of Ginsberg’s A Supermarket in California is to show the loss of American culture. The speaker’s references to dead poets are almost like they want to bring them back and make them alive again. They want American society to remember these iconic poets, who are an essential part of American history, and they don’t want them to be left behind in the pre-war America. The speaker wants to show us that our world has changed by writing, “dreaming of the lost America” (28). This post-war America is full of nice houses, dreamy cars and ideal perfect families, which changes the way people are thinking. By the speaker making constant references to objects, it ties in with the image America has today. America is no longer a world where people read and admire literature, but a world where people are very materialistic and object frenzied. The speaker is trying to show that America has moved away from admiring all these great works of literature, to the image of only craving “automobiles,” “fancy tasting artichokes” and “possessing every frozen delicacy” (29, 19-20). Key works such as “fancy” and “possessing” show that people in this post-war American society are only concerned with one thing, and that is wanting to possess the most fancy of objects such as: the most fancy cars, houses, and food. This post-war America is image driven and people only care about how they appear to the society around them.
According to Ella Gmelich, Allen Ginsberg “describes this world or ‘super market’ as ‘bright’ and ‘neon’ referring to the presence of commercialism and capitalism.” My opinion is different from this. This poem has nothing to do with the fact that it is during a time where War World II had just ended. It’s about how big the world is, and the fact that not everyone feels like they have a place in it. The supermarket is a representation of the world, but all of the things that seem out of place, for example the word “neon,” are exemplifications for things that do not belong. In this “supermarket” are “whole families shopping at night,” but the person speaking is one of the three people in there who is alone (Ginsberg 6-7). The other two poets, Garcia Lorca and Walt Whitman, are in this supermarket, as well, but in reality, both are dead. Gmelich also writes, “From his distaste for the changed society, one can infer that Ginsberg was accustomed to the pre-war America and is foreign to the post war country.” This poem does not mention anything about how life was before World War II, so it’s hard to tell whether or not he likes pre-war or post-war life more. Ginsberg, also, doesn’t tell us if he’s the narrator of the poem, so how do we know it is him with this opinion? Last, Gmelich talks about the relationship between Walt Whitman. This is a statement I believe is more accurate because the speaker spends the rest of his time following Walt Whitman around the store. Whitman is the only person who seems to be as lonely as him. Because the speaker feels so vulnerable in this world/supermarket, where families look happy and whole, they go to find the one person who seems to be the loneliest—a “childless, lonely, old grubber” (Ginsberg 10). The speaker is trying to conform to society to find his place, or at least a place where they won’t feel so alone.
Stephanie Beyer writes that the narrator of the poem is living in a world that is lost, just like the speaker is. Beyer touches base on the fact that the “neon fruit” represents the artificial world and the people living in it are no longer in touch with reality (5). I agree with both of these points that Beyer makes. The speaker of the poem is confused and unsure of himself, so he seeks the help of two men whom he admires. Both Walt Whitman and Garcia Lora are men who the speaker looks up to. He asks, “Where are we going Walt Whitman?”; relying on Whitman to help him find his way (21). The other point made by Beyer was the reference to the “neon fruit”. I agree with Beyer when she makes the claim that the fruit represents the artificial world that has replaced America. This poem compares artificial lives to the true lives. The people living in the new America have superficial values, they value materialistic possessions over other things, “blue automobiles in driveways” (29). I also believe that the speaker could be hinting at the fact that all the people who are alive are superficial and real, whereas the genuine people are deceased. American culture dies with the soldiers in World War II—prior to when this poem was written. Although I agree with some of the points Beyer makes, I differ in opinion with her other claims. Beyer believes that the speaker in the story is Ginsberg himself, when in actuality we have no way of knowing who the speaker is. Additionally, Beyer makes the claim that the fact that Ginsberg and Whitman are feeling ostracized is because they are gay. While I agree that homosexuality alienates these men, Beyer, again, should not be assuming that the speaker in this poem is Ginsberg. Therefore, it would be more correct to say that both the speaker and Whitman could be feeling lonely because they are gay and don’t fit in.
According to Stephanie Beyer, the author Allen Ginsberg is the narrator of the poem, “A Supermarket in California,” because he viewed Walt Whitman as an “influential figure” throughout his life. Beyer states that Ginsberg had an “admiration” towards Walt Whitman, also mentioning the detail that both authors were gay (Beyer). Beyer believes that the narrator of the poem represents Ginsberg himself as he metaphorically follows Waltman through the supermarket. Throughout the poem there is no evidence that Ginsberg is the narrator. Ginsberg didn’t mention who the narrator was or giving any details about the appearance, sex, or sexual preference. Even though Walt Whitman was widely known as a homosexual, there was no evidence of a romantic relationship between the narrator and Whitman. I do agree that the narrator was following Whitman around through “open corridors together” but the action does not mean it was for romantic purposes (18). Ginsberg does mention how the narrator and Whitman are both “lonely” when walking down the “solidary streets” (25, 27). It was true than during the 1950’s being gay was not socially or legally accepted in the United States. Since this poem was written in 1955, assuming the narrator was gay, it would not demonstrate any romantic interest towards Whitman if the narrator is surrounded by other ordinary families. Even though Ginsberg is homosexual it doesn’t connect him to the speaker who shows admiration toward Walt Whitman. I believe that assuming the narrator is Ginsberg, is a statement that could not be textually supported in the poem.
According to Eva Zhu, “Ginsberg and Whitman are both out of the meretricious world; they are more focused on feeling and mental development.” This means that both Ginsberg and Whitman are categorized as outcasts in the society because of their modern view on life, unlike others in the 1950s that all had similar mindset and view on life. However, is it not necessary that Ginsberg is the outcast, it might just be the speaker, or the narrator, in the poem that is the one being an outcast, just like Whitman. But because the 1950s were all about cars, televisions, diners, flashy neon signs, and other inventions, people were obsessed and got distracted by these impermanent objects or materials. Instead of living in the simple and traditional life, people in that era would prefer manmade items, in which this poem also mentioned by using “neon fruit,” “brilliant stacks of cans,” “fancy tasting artichokes” as the representative for the artificial world that people were immersed in (5, 15, 19). Although I agree with Zhu’s perspective on how Ginsberg portrays the material world that people back then are living in, I disagree with her when she stated, “he (Ginsberg) cannot be satisfied by the society and the people around him.” It is not that Ginsberg cannot be satisfied with the society, but the speaker is just lost with how the way the society he or she was living in. Moreover, stating that he is “lonely,” make the reader realize that he has no one to ask for help or seek guide from (27).
According to Ella Gmelich, “Ginsberg was accustomed to the pre-war America and is foreign to the post war country” but where is the proof to this pre-war America in the poem? Gmelich also says that the world post war was “new” and “commercialized.” But I disagree with this, I believe as Gmelich said that the speaker was out of place but not because of this new commercialized world but because of the speaker’s homosexuality. “I walked around down the sidestreets under the trees with a headache self-conscience.” The speaker says side streets instead of the main road. During the time that poem was published being openly gay was illegal, walking under the trees, infers that he is hidden, trying to hide. The speaker is self- conscience incase anyone finds out. Later the speaker says, “followed in my imagination by the store detective,” when a detective followers someone, that means that a person must have done something wrong, in the speakers case, being gay. “Whole families shopping at night! Aisles full husbands! Wives in the avocados, babies in the tomatoes! – and you Garcia Lorca, what were you doing down by the watermelons?” (6-9). The speaker lists normal everyday things, families, husbands, avocadoes, babies and tomatoes but then contrasts it with, “and you.” Garcia Lorca was gay, the speaker specifically uses the “and you” to show a comparison with all the every day things and Garcia Lorca who is in a different location compared to the families in the supermarket. The speaker seems to relate with Walt Whitman, who was “childless,” “lonely” and “eyeing the grocery boys” when saying, “we’ll both be lonely” (25-26). The speaker also repeats, the idea of families, children and loneliness, both families and children are things that gay people can’t have naturally, causing a lonely sensation. “We stroll dreaming of the lost America of love…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” (28-33). The speaker is asking Walt Whitman what was it like when America didn’t ostracize gay people. During the time of Walt Whitman, gay and homosexuality wasn’t a thing, being friendly to the same gender wasn’t thought of as strange or not normal.
According to Anita Ayala, Allen Ginsberg’s poem “A Supermarket in California,” is primarily about how people in society are constantly “running around” and how “Ginsberg can be noticed as very happy and excited, but also as a depressed man” (Ayala). Ayala focuses on the assumed feelings of Ginsberg but in my opinion the speaker in Ginsberg’s poem cannot be automatically associated with Ginsberg himself. This poem can be interpreted in several different ways. I believe the poem is about how the speaker wanders through the supermarket, thinking about those who have died – Walt Whitman and Garcia Lorca – searching for answers and discovering the true meaning of the “lost America.” The speaker begins to notice little details of items in the Supermarket that catches his attention and associates those items with what America is becoming. He notices the “neon fruit” and questions its image because fruit is not necessarily thought of as “neon,” drawing the reader’s attention to something unusual (5). By mentioning the “neon fruit,” Ginsberg may be connecting these odd colors to objects or people in his life who have become obsessed with artificial items and have become materialistic. These changes of being artificial and obsessed with items such as the “blue automobiles in driveways” portray the changes of America after the war (29). In addition to the speakers search for the true identity of America, Ginsberg portrays the speaker to be lost, confused, and depressed. Despite the fact that Ayala mentions Ginsberg as “a depressed man,” I disagree with the fact that she states “Ginsberg can be noticed as very happy and excited”(Ayala). I view the speaker as a person unsure of himself and constantly in a gloomy mood. While wandering around in the night, the speaker mentions how “we’ll both be lonely” depicting the fact that the speaker is depressed (26-27). Ayala writes “Ginsberg depicts the way the narrator shows how he is very depressed by saying, ‘I saw you, Walt Whitman, childless, lonely old grubber, poking among the meats in the refrigerator and eyeing the grocery boys.’” (Ayala). In my opinion, this quote is not sufficient evidence for this idea because it is expressing how Walt Whitman is portrayed to be depressed but not how Ginsberg portrays the speaker to be lonely.
According to Ella Gmelich, “this poem details how out of place the author, Allen Ginsberg, feels in the post World War II society” (Dmelich). Gmelich believes that the supermarket in California, “as bright and neon,” represents the “commercialism and capitalism” of America during the prosperous time period. She states that the poet distastes the new, alien post war and feels depressed because it is too different from “his simple ‘dark and shady’ world,” and she declares that the poet reflects Walt Whitman, as a “childless, lonely old grubber,” on himself. I agree with her analysis that the supermarket symbolizes the capitalism of post war America and reveals how people values the material lives over all of others. However, I believe that the darkness shown as “trees add shade to shade, lights out in the houses” refers to the real American society under the fake, artificial packaging, instead of Ginsberg’s own shady inner world (26). In addition, as the poet questions that “will we stroll dreaming of the lost America of love past blue automobiles in driveways, home to our silent cottage,” the poet creates contrast occurs between people’s abundant material life, represented by “blue automobiles,” and the “silent cottage,” symbolizing the vacuous spiritual world for Americans (28). Recognizing the huge distinction, the speaker feels alienated to this new post war America and tastes solitude with the company of Whitman as he says, “we’ll both be lonely” (26). Furthermore, Ginsberg is separated from the speaker; therefore, the poem actually expresses the depression of the speaker, but not the poet.
In her interpretation of Allen Ginsberg’s poem, “A Supermarket in California,” McKenna Sandoval claims that this poem is really about two outsiders, Ginsberg and Whitman, who feel uncomfortable in their society full of people trying to reach the American Dream, but who only focus on the artificial. Sandoval argues that through the usage of words like “solitary,” “lonely,” and “lights out” the author hints to the reader that “Ginsberg is speaking as an outsider in society” (Sandoval). I agree with Sandoval that the speaker feels alienated by society, however it cannot be assumed that Ginsberg is the speaker in this poem. I also agree that the speaker “is looking for something, but is exhausted from looking” (Sandoval). I think it can be further argued that the speaker is looking for advice and guidance as he is “walking down the side streets…with a headache self conscious looking at the moon” and that he finds guidance and advice when he sees Whitman because he later does not seem tired and suggests “walk(ing) all night” with Whitman (Ginsberg 2-3, 25). Also if “wandering into the supermarket” is a metaphor for the search for new ideas it can be argued that Whitman provides these new ideas or perspectives as the speaker and Whitman are “tasting artichokes, possessing every frozen delicacy” (Sandoval, Ginsberg 19-20). I also agree that Whitman and the speaker feel lonely however I do not think “others are ‘in the avocados…in the tomatoes!’” is sufficient evidence for this because Garcia Lorca, another poet whom the speaker identifies with, is “by the watermelons” and that would suggest that Lorca is not lonely (Sandoval, Ginsberg 9). I think that the evidence for this argument is in the contrast between phrases like “childless, lonely old grubber,” “solitary streets,” and “we’ll both be lonely” with “whole families…aisles full of husbands…wives in the avocados…babies in the tomatoes” (Ginsberg 10, 25, 26-27, 6-8). The fruit doesn’t show that the people are together, but that they are infatuated with the artificial society. I also agree with Sandoval that this poem is making a statement about the American culture and its turn towards artificial and material goods because it references “blue automobiles in driveways” and at the “neon fruits” represent the processed and manmade society but it is unclear if this is why the speaker and Whitman feel like outsiders because it is the speaker is “shopping for images” and they are “tasting artichokes, possessing every frozen delicacy, and never passing the cashier” arguing that they are participating in society to a certain extent, but not fully indulging because they don’t buy anything (Ginsberg 4, 19-20).
Madison Dawn writes how “neon and bright objects tend to stand out in a crowd, as well as gay people like Ginsberg” and that “Ginsberg is showing his disapproval of society throughout this poem.” I agree with the statement of how he may feel as if he does not fit in with the “whole families shopping at night” because his sexuality would entail a different family than the ones considered to be your typical family at the time the poem was written (6-7). I do think Ginsberg objects to society; however, I believe that he is not specifically expressing his disapproval of society in this poem, but rather expressing the loneliness he feels in the society. Most places in the U.S. at the time ruled homosexual acts illegal, leaving Ginsberg feeling “lonely,” “with a headache” and “self conscious” (Ginsberg 26, 2, 3). Dawn mentions that “Walt Whitman, a very well known poet, who was also gay, was Ginsberg's mentor.” I agree that Ginsberg looks up to Whitman but I believe that it is in a stronger sense than just a mentor, but actually as a partner to whom he can relate, and look to for advice. The speaker describes Whitman as a “childless, lonely old grubber,” and knowing that Whitman and Ginsberg were both homosexuals, I believe that Ginsberg was reflecting his personal feelings when characterizing Whitman in his poem (Ginsberg 10). Ginsberg also explains how he feels connected to Whitman through the quote, “the trees add shade to shade, lights out in the houses, we’ll both be lonely”(Ginsberg 24-26). The wording of this quote is significant because if they are both lonely, how can they be lonely if they are together? This depicts the relationship that Ginsberg and Whitman have because Ginsberg looks up to Whitman as someone who he can relate to, and feels lonely without Whitman alive as a partner for him to go through the unique struggles as he is.
Danielle Azari writes about how Ginsberg was alienated in society because he did not conform to the expectations of his society. I think this is a great point because it stresses that people, more importantly poets like Ginsberg and Whitman, can’t conform to this society because they see how artificial and pretentious it actually is. The speaker refers to Walt Whitman as a “childless, lonely old grubber” because he too is an outsider to this society by not having a wife and children (10). The speaker feels their inability to fit in is so noticeable that the “store detective” begins to follow them. I like how Azari notices that this, but she forgets to mention that this is all in the speakers mind. She writes, “Even the guard in this ‘supermarket’ begins to follow him around because he is suspicious of Ginsberg’s actions, ‘and followed in my imagination by the store detective.’ This man follows him around because he suspects that Ginsberg is someone who does not do things the way society wants them to be done”. She adds the perfect quote, but she doesn’t explain the “followed in my imagination” aspect of it (16). I agree with Azari’s belief that “Society is always pressuring people to become less unique and more like robots, they are being brainwashed and taken away from their values.” This thought is reflected in this poem when the speaker talks about the “blue automobiles in driveways” (28). This image depicts the perfect suburban society America has become after the war, something that both Ginsberg and his role model, Walt Whitman, despised.
45 comments:
A supermarket in California
This poem is about Allen is expressing how he feels about society in the 50's, in that period of time people weren't accepted of who they really are, since being gay was considered a disease. He is eyeing the grocery boys, so he actually seeing all this boy, with this he saying he is gay, so his feeling are all mix up because he hasn't being accepted to this society, in the text he is self-conscious about things that goes around his mind, all this he is seeing at the market its how he wants them to be, he isn't facing reality, he isn't satisfied with the world or what he wants to see, when he is looking at the full moon self conscious he looking actually for a new time. so basically all this text is about how he want the world to be and society to accept who he is.
This poem is about the journey the world has undergone through the past decade, and how it has effected the way people live. In this new post war world of fake “images” and “neon” supermarkets, the few who choose to question the new ways of society and challenge social norms are outcast and become “lonely” people. Instead of frolicking in the produce section that is fresh and brimming with life, Whitman instead decides to inspect the meats where everything is dead. The supermarket itself represents how the world has become a bright and flashy display of families, perfection, and overall well being for the humans who inhabit this new world. The moon in this poem represents the imminent change that is about to occur; because this poem is post war, the world is in a point of transition. After the war, people are left “hungry” and unsatisfied with the world. This new America is full of shiny cars, lively markets, and beautiful homes, but inside those homes is nothing but darkness. The love has been stolen from this new, wounded, war torn society, and as a coping mechanism, feeling and simplicity has been removed from the equation.
Allen Ginsberg depicts an individual in society that is aware of the fake and phoniness appearance of the new upcoming world in his poem “A Supermarket in California.” The "neon" supermarket illustrates where one purchases the freshest and newest items based on appearance. Significantly, Ginsberg addresses that supermarkets can also be a place to shop for images. The families in the poem symbolize freshness with their babies and an another example that is not in the poem can be fresh newly-weds who become a family. “Home to our silent cottage” demonstrates the traditional lifestyle of the narrator. Cottages generally are old and completely not new. Ginsberg produces the narrator throughout the poem with the awareness of the false appearances that surround the world and society in the 1950s. The poem ends with a boat leaving which symbolically represents leaving a much simpler life where phoniness and appearances don’t occur.
Walt Whitman, a profound poet, was looked at as a mentor and influential figure by the narrator of this poem who we can assume is the author, Allen Ginsberg. As the narrator follows Whitman through the “neon fruit supermarket (Ginsberg. 1955.)", which is a metaphor for the artificial societal world that has replaced “the lost America of love. (Ginsberg. 1955).” In the poem, Whitman is metaphorically wandering around the supermarket with the narrator following his every move, portraying Ginsberg admiration for him. Considering Whitman and Ginsberg are gay, this brings me to deduce that Ginsberg was analyzing the way Whitman was living his life. The author continues to notice the loneliness he and Whitman both experience, portraying his realization that being gay is not socially accepted. The poem ends with a metaphor, stating that Whitman is “watching the boat disappear on the black waters of Lethe. (Ginsberg. 1955.)” A simpler life is gone and a flashy, synthetic world has emerged.
Allen Ginsberg depicts a crowded, flashy fruit supermarket in the poem A Supermarket in California. “Neon”, “brilliant stacks of cans”, “fancy tasting artichokes” and numerous fresh fruit all represent the distractions from this material world. People enjoy on the rich material life, satisfied by the diverse choices on the materials, but forget and lose the original simpleness and happiness. More and more people are absorbed by worldly pursuits and pleasures. The poets are depressed, because he has very different ideas and perspectives from most people around him. “Headache self-conscious” shows that Allen Ginsberg feels alone in the society because he cannot find anyone to share his ideas. On the other hand, “headache”, “hungry fatigue” are also Ginsberg’s disappointment and dissatisfaction. He cannot be satisfied by the society and the people around him. He is hungry mentally, because this society is full of modern goods but loses the beauty of nature and spirits. He mentions Walt Whitman, who is another lonely soul wandering in this overcrowded world. Ginsberg and Whitman are both out of the meretricious world; they are more focused on feeling and mental development. They both have free spirits, having emotional and spiritual pursuits. However, modernization kills people’s imagination. Allen Ginsberg is mourning for the soul of the society, because people are lost in the material world.
Taken place during the 1950’s in post war, the poem depicts the world as a “neon fruit supermarket” which signifies how the main character views the world as a flashy and pretentious place. Allen Ginsberg in the poem can be seen as unsatisfied and “lonely” guy who with his “hungry fatigue” is looking for something. As he ventures throughout the market mentally craving for something and “never passing the cashier”, self-conscious and with a headache, he goes from being excited and happy about the wives, babies, and husbands, which represents how the world used to be alive and fresh. But as he transitions into the meat department, he portrays how society has become lifeless and dull. At this point, Allen’s loneliness can be interpreted by his unhappiness and utter discontent with the way society has turned out. A poet by the name of Walt Whitman is mentioned in the poem, who is similar to Allen, is wandering around the market (world) feeling all alone in society, too. His hungry fatigue may be wanting to be accepted by society and having societal norm standards.
The poem A Supermarket in California was written by Allen Ginsberg in 1956. It is about how the society has effected the way people live at that time period and also expresses the feeling from Allen towards the society in 1950s. The poem is depicting a fancy and “neon” fruit supermarket with “brilliant stacks of cans”, “fancy tasting artichokes” and “frozen delicacy”. Allen reveals the world and society that are surrounded and covered by awareness of the false appearances and phoniness by using the symbol of “supermarket”. In the poem, Allen makes stabs at capitalist America with “shopping for images”, he feels “headache” and in a “hungry fatigue” which means that he is disappointed for more and more people showing their desires, ambitions and satisfy of masteries. However, Whitman gives him a vision for another kind of life by finding the nature beauty with the “tasting artichokes, possessing every frozen delicacy, and never passing the cashier.” He found the pleasures with bypassing demands of profit and payment from the supermarket. Throughout the poem, Allen notices the loneliness for himself and Whitman by using “we’ll both be lonely” and the symbols of “the trees add shade to shade” and “lights out in the houses”. They do not be understood and also cannot find people who can share the vision of the natural society with. Allen Ginsberg showing his unhappiness and utter discontent with the people and society which capitalism and modernity has brought.
The narrator is struggling to find inspiration, find something to write about. He’s walking around in the night, trying to clear his head and imagining that Walt Whitman is with him.
The narrator is hungry and tired, he’s "shopping for images" -- shopping for inspiration. His journey leads him into the supermarket where he is shopping for images; inside he notices all of the families in the produce department. And to his own irony, he imagines Garcia Lorca amongst the shoppers.
He “watches” Walt Whitman, imagining him as a shopper and what he would be doing if he were there. The narrator envisions him “poking among the meats in the refrigerator and eyeing the grocery boys,” alluding to the author’s sexuality and imagining how he would act in this ordinary situation.
The narrator wanders throughout the store, picturing that he’s following this literary figure and then he imagines a “store detective” following him because he realizes how weird he must appear following this visionary. He continues to pursue Walt Whitman throughout the store in hopes that Whitman will point him in the direction of inspiration: “where are we going, Walt Whitman? Which way does your beard point tonight?”
The narrator “feels absurd” as he carries around the work of Walt Whitman for inspiration and he realizes this aberration cannot tell him what to write about. He dreams of their journey together that will lead him to find something to write about, but realizes that he has to find his own inspiration and that following another literary figure will not take him to that point of inspiration.
He walks all night through “solitary streets,“ as his thoughts are getting deeper and deeper and “the trees add shade to shade.” The narrator asks Walt Whitman, “what America did you have?” meaning, “what was your environment like? What inspiration did your surroundings provide you with?”
This poem details how out of place the author, Allen Ginsberg, feels in the post World War II society. He describes this world or “super market” as “bright” and “neon” referring to the presence of commercialism and capitalism. From his distaste for the changed society, one can infer that Ginsberg was accustomed to the pre-war America and is foreign to the post war country. He contrasts his simple “dark and shady” world to the new commercialized one that is “neon” and “bright” multiple times throughout the poem. Ginsberg feels out of place just as he imagined Walt would be, saying that Walt was a “childless, lonely old grubber”, most likely a reflection of Ginsberg himself. Because Walt was an inspiration to Ginsberg, Ginsberg refers to him as a guide to help him navigate this new, alien world.
In Allen Ginsberg’s poem, A Super Market in California, Ginsberg depicts how modern ideas and taken over, and society has now changed, he refers to America as, “the lost America (Ginsberg, 1955).” Ginsberg was greatly influenced by the famous poet, Walt Whitman, and in this poem, the narrator is following Walt around a “neon fruit market (Ginsberg, 1955).” In this poem, the supermarket is representing the world/ society. The adjective neon is describing the supermarket, but when applying it to society, it means that society is now flashy, modern and untraditional. Both the narrator and Walt are described as lonely, even though people surround them. Whitman acts not only as a companion towards the narrator, but also as a guide and mentor. Ginsberg described him as a “courage-teacher.”
"A supermarket in California" was written in the 1950s by Allen Ginsberg. The poem raises awareness to the changes undergone in society throughout America after World War II. In the beginning of the poem, the narrator realizes that the country is bound to see a new time. He is tired and hungry for something new, so he goes to the "neon fruit supermarket" where everyone goes for new and flashy things, which portrays the new society. As he walks around, he sees whole families who have found their place in their community. He then sees Walt Whitman, a famous writer, alone, wandering around looking for his own place in society while eyeing and flirting with the grocery boys, or looking for a companion. The narrator and Whitman look at everything that is new in their society and try everything out, but they don't like any of it so they never adapt anything, hence the line, "never passing the cashier. (Ginsberg. 1955)" The last two sections of the poem pose questions as to whether or not the narrator and Walt Whitman should accept the fact that oblivion is affecting them and the past, present, and future of America. The language and references to the boat disappearing into the waters of Lethe in the last couple sentences show that he feels like this country's previous values have been forgotten as he starts to question the new values of society.
A Supermarket in California reveals Ginsberg’s interpretation of the world through an analogy of a supermarket with his model influence, Walt Whitman. During the 1950’s Ginsberg writes this poem about the world after the war. Ginsberg’s inspiration and muse for his writing was the poet Walt Whitman. In my opinion, Walt Whitman represents life and the now ever present world. Walt Whitman sees many corrupt things for example childless and lonely. These characteristics show how dreadful and unorthodox life would have been during the 1950s. Walt Whitman also “eyes” the grocery boys, showing society’s corruption like the corruption of same sex relationships. Ginsberg describes someone as inspiring and intelligent as Walt Whitman, and makes him corrupt. I think Ginsberg is trying to say how something so wonderful as the world could change in a short amount of time because of a war. Another characteristic in this poem is the immense use of questions. “Where are we going? Will we walk all through solitary streets?” I think Ginsberg asks these questions just as everyone else during that time period would have done. Citizens were going through a transition and were not sure of the result or what was the next step in the world.
A Supermarket in California
Allen Ginsberg’s A Supermarket in California explains the supermarket as a metaphor for the world. Ginsberg notices the social diversity the world has come to and the differences it has made on people’s lives. He pays very close attention to little things, such as everyone paying close attention to whatever they are doing. Although Ginsberg might be explaining on the poem through the poems of Walt Whitman, he is showing that everything can change just like the products and the people in the supermarket. The supermarket represents the life we live out in the world and justifies that the world will never be as simple as it once was.
Allen Ginsberg’s “A Supermarket in California” takes place in what I perceive as a metaphorical supermarket. The narrator is in this neon, bright, flashy fruit market observing all of the families shopping there at night and following Walt Whitman around as though he was guiding him. The text is filled with exclamation points and a positive, lively vibe when it talks about the families looking at the fruits. A few lines later it says that Walt Whitman was “poking among the meats in the refrigerator and eyeing the grocery boys.” Here we see a contrast in the tone of the text. This portion seems more dead and dreary. Whitman is different from all of the others in the supermarket and strays in the opposite direction. It is made known to the reader that Whitman is lonely and seems to be searching for a companion. It appears that both the narrator and Whitman are outsiders and don’t exactly fit in to the norms of society. Every one in the supermarket seems to have a family, whereas Whitman and the narrator are both single and wandering around observing these families. They are both looking for something, “shopping for images”, and cannot seem to find exactly what they are looking for because they “never passed the cashier.” Towards the end of the poem we read that the narrator and Whitman leave the supermarket together. They exit the flashy and lively supermarket and enter the dark shady world under the trees.
This poem is about how one man, “childless” and lonely, sees the world as a fake and artificial place. He uses the idea of a “neon supermarket” to describe how parts of the world seem amazing lively in a public setting, but when once out of public, there is no longer live and happiness. As he uses exclamation points to show the happiness and liveliness in the supermarket, he transitions quickly from “What peaches and what penumbras!” to “never passing the cashier” and noticing the “frozen” delicacies. He notices that all the people are ‘not fresh’ or fake, and he never passes the cashier because he does not give into the fakeness of the world that is around him. Once he leaves the supermarket, it shows the real part of the world, dark, lonely, and somewhat evil. He knows this because he asks the question of “what America did you have when… you got out on a smoking bank and stood watching the boat disappear on the black waters of Lethe?”. The man shows his final feelings through this question because it shows that he does not give into the fakeness in the world but he sees everyone else go into Haides’s river of forgetting, which means they forget the fakeness of the world while he is staying out of everything artificial about the world.
Allen Ginsberg's famous poem, "A Supermarket in California" is written after world war II. Ginsberg, who was assumed to be the narrator of the poem writes about how different and alienated he feels from society. The supermarket he is in is described as "neon" and "bright", which is a reflection on how Ginsberg may feel during this time in society. Neon and bright objects tend to stand out in a crowd, as well as gay people like Ginsberg may have felt during this time. Walt Whitman, a very well known poet, who was also gay, was Ginsberg's mentor. Whitman is mentioned in the poem as being a "lonely old grubber" who "eyes grocery boys". Since Whitman is Ginsberg's mentor the way he describes Whitman as feeling could also be the way Ginsberg felt. GInsberg is showing his dissaproval of society throughout this poem and looks to Whitman for guidance.
In this poem the narrator is metaphorically using the neon fruit supermarket to depict society. In his “hungry fatigue” he is tired from trying to understand society and instead he tries to “shop for images” that will answer all his questions and curiosities. Meanwhile, in the supermarket he notices all these families shopping at night, but they are all in different sections of the market. Society is depicted in a categorized manner that conveys how most people automatically fall into some place in society. However, there’s Walt Whitman, “childless, lonely,” questioning civilization. He passes “the brilliant stacks of cans” and “fancy tasting artichokes… never passing the cashier,” because Walt Whitman doesn’t buy into what society offers. Through all this the narrator is attentively following him, relating to him, as he feels lonely also. The poem finishes off with his final question, “what America did you have?” while watching those disappear to the river of forgetting. Walt Whitman never gives into society and instead allows himself to be lonely to not fall into this crucial society.
In Allen Ginsberg’s poem “A Supermarket in California”, we are taken into the hectic scene of a supermarket, which is a metaphor for the fast-paced, continuous cycle of the society we are a part of. From this poem we are able to distinguish the people who are doing the norm, as opposed to the character Walt Whitman who seems to be an outcast separated from everyone else in the “neon fruit supermarket”. Walt Whitman is lonely, “eyeing the grocery boys” in the store; this allows readers to assume that Whitman is homosexual— the reason for him being isolated. Being isolated in the store serves as image to show that anyone who is different in society is outcast, and that those who continuously follow society’s customs are a part of a journey together. Allen Ginsberg is displaying that being in solitude allows individuals to refrain from buying into society’s standards, and allows them to choose the journey they wish to be on.
A Supermarket in California is an interpretation of post war society. A “neon fruit supermarket” is used as a metaphor for the artificiality of America from Ginsburg’s point of view. The supermarket depicts flashy identical families living repetitive lives, and how people who question or challenge this monotonous lifestyle become “lonely” and dark outsiders. The families come to the supermarket “hungry” for new things and images because they are always unsatisfied with their lives. The character in the poem walks into this major metaphor as a person who sees the fake reality, but does not desire to conform to it; rather he chooses to observe the outcast—Walt Whitman. Whitman is revealed to us away from the colorful produce section, and in the meat and frozen section, a lifeless aisle. The narrator eagerly follows Whitman through the supermarket, as if the poet guides him away from the phony families.
Ginsburg writes that Whitman and his follower do not pass the cashier. The narrator uses this as a way to say that they both did not buy into the phony ways of the families in the artificial community. Whitman wants to make sure that the narrator does not step out of the unique boundaries that he is now so interested in. Both characters go home to their “silent” cottage where they enjoy the “lost America”, or pre war society, that they always dream of going back as an escape of the true reality that must be faced everyday.
I think the main point that Ginsberg is trying to portray is the feeling of loneliness (and self-unawareness) even when a person is surrounded by others. The narrator explains later in the poem that “we strode down the open corridors together in our solitary” which can only point to the fact that the protagonist is with someone physically, but mentally, he/she is by him/herself. In this poem, the protagonist emphasizes that feeling when he describes the ‘whole families’ in the supermarket. It also represents the conformity that people can have n a society. Even though they are all in the supermarket, each different member of every family is doing something different. This idea of loneliness can also be portrayed as individuality, yet at the same time, conformity. The husbands are all in the same spot, away from their wives and children, but together with the other husbands, as is the situation with the wives and the children. Another example of conformity in this poem is when the protagonist and Walt Whitman (the author’s literary inspiration) are strolling down the aisles of the supermarket taking samples of the food that they should be buying. Normally, when people go into a supermarket, they do so to buy food. In this case, the two main characters are breaking out of tradition and simply tasting whatever they feel like. They pass by the cashier with nothing to buy. In this case, the narrator and Walt Whitman are actually defying the conformity of the supermarket. This supermarket can be seen as a society because of how the people are layed out. The husbands being all together could represent how they go to work; the wives may be staying and cleaning the homes; the children may be in day care. However, Walt Whitman and the protagonist are not any of those three types of people and they are not doing what any of those people are doing.
In the poem, A Supermarket in California, author Allen Ginsberg uses the metaphor of a supermarket to discuss the changes of America post World War II. According to the narrator, who is living in “lost America”, he constantly feels “hungry fatigue”, showing that something is missing from his life, but he does not want to continue to look for it. As the narrator tries to shop for “images”, he is searching his identity that has been changed by the ways of society. All of the people in the narrator’s society have adapted to their new lifestyles of renewed brightness with: “peaches”, “avocado”, and “tomatoes”. The narrator shows that he is still stuck in his old ways of life, as he is “poking around the meats”, while the rest of the families are in the “neon supermarket”. Ginsberg shows that the narrator is trapped in a way of life which focuses on appearances of things as well as other people.
The poem, A Supermarket in California, by Allen Ginsberg has nothing to do with an actual supermarket, but rather discusses a more predominate issue in which he compares to an everyday task, such as visiting the supermarket. Every single person that is located inside of this supermarket takes possession of a specific task, except for Walt Whitman and the narrator. The narrator is “shopping for images”, and it so happens that Walt Whitman is his inspiration. Whitman and the Narrator “strode down the open corridor together in [their] solitary fancy”, evaluating everything that the supermarket had to offer, but later come to the conclusion that they did not want anything to do with it. The supermarket ultimately represents a flawless society, other wise known as a ‘perfect world’. Every person possesses a predetermined role and owns the same “past blue automobile in the driveway”. The narrator chooses not to participate in the superficial activities taking place in the supermarket because he is in desperate search for literary inspiration and yearns to be unique.
In the poem, A Supermarket in California, author Allen Ginsberg uses this “supermarket” as a way to describe what society (the supermarket) was like after the events of World War II. Nothing was the same to him, and he felt so lonely because of this change. His loneliness stems from the fact that he seems to be the only one in society who is not “buying into” the conformity that come with the pressures from society. When he first walks into the “supermarket” he sees husbands, wives, and childs all together at the “store” but separated from one another. This relates to how things in society should be done, everything must be done with family according to the “supermarket” but then we see him all by himself walking in this “supermarket” all alone and with nothing to do, unlike the other families. Even the guard in this “supermarket” begins to follow him around because he is suspicious of Ginsberg’s actions, “and followed in my imagination by the store detective.” This man follows him around because he suspects that Ginsberg is someone who does not do things the way society wants them to be done. The recurring theme this year seems to be the fact that society is always pressuring people to become less unique and more like robots, they are being brainwashed and taken away from their values. But Ginsberg shows us that although many people feel conflicted when dealing with a situation like this, he still maintains his original beliefs. And although he went around, “tasting artichokes, possessing every frozen delicacy,” trying new things to see if he felt better, he never bought into what this “supermarket” had to offer. Once he leaves, he asks his imaginary friend, Walt Whitman, “Which way does your beard point tonight?” He asks Walt what’s next, and surely enough, we see that they are on their way to someplace else, ready to explore the next “supermarket” they encounter.
The narrator of the poem “A Supermarket in California” by Allen Ginsberg is trying to uncover the modern ways of how people in our society live today. The word “supermarket” in the title of the poem is a metaphor. The first thought of the narrator showing how society today is like a supermarket by saying “I went into the neon fruit supermarket.” He shows how all people in our society today, are running around like no other time period. Ginsberg can be noticed as very happy and excited, but also as a depressed man. He uses many explanation points in the first section of the poem for instance, “Whole families shopping at night!” (Ginsberg) Also, in another section from the poem, Ginsberg depicts the way the narrator shows how he is very depressed by saying, “I saw you, Walt Whitman, childless, lonely old grubber, poking among the meats in the refrigerator and eyeing the grocery boys. “ (Ginsberg) The way that the narrator portrays the different foods in the novel is very interesting because he shows how many variations of food can be just like human beings.
In the poem, "A Supermarket in California" the author, Allen Ginsberg takes a step back from the conventions of society and criticizes people and the artificial world they participate in from an outside perspective of the main character, an unnamed man. The poem is set in a supermarket called "neon fruit supermarket" that acts like a mini-society. Ginsberg creates an ordinary life setting in a bustling supermarket filled with parents, children, a lonely Walt Whitman, and the main character. This unnamed man claims to be following Walt Whitman, a famous American poet, through the aisles of this supermarket because Whitman sees something that the average shoppers do not see. He crosses boundaries, acts differently, and is unorthodox within this supermarket but other shoppers do not seem to notice because they are so busy looking for and then buying groceries. Only the unnamed man takes the time to observe and follow Whitman, curious to see the point of this crossing of the boundaries. It is stated, "I wandered in and out of the brilliant stacks of cans following you, and followed in my imagination by the store detective. We strode down the corridors together in out solitary fancy tasting artichokes, possessing every frozen delicacy, and never passing the cashier." It can be inferred from the text that the two men viewed and dissected the society as a whole looking at it from outside the set boundaries which gave them insight on what everything was about in the heart of the store. What the store offered shoppers was not fulfilling enough to Whitman and the unnamed man so they left without buying anything. This is another way of saying the duo did not buy into what the supermarket was offering and just wished not to participate in a fake environment like the mini-society.
This poem begins with walking down side streets like walking down the path of life but since it is not the main road the side streets make him different from others. When he enters the supermarket, he is entering society, and it is "neon" making it sound fake or artificial and just based on appearance. The families appear to be together but are actually separated, and it shows how the men have the power because they are shopping for wives like shopping for avocados, the men have the money giving them power. As he sees all of this everything looks dead and frozen but "fancy" at the same time. As they leave this society and move outside there is solitude because no one else has moved outside of the parameters of society. The journey comes to a close and he looks back, missing the old times where things were in uniform like all the "blue automobiles". Death come in the end as Charon takes souls across the river and the boat keeps moving forward and forgetting about its past like time and people.
In this poem, Allen Ginsberg expresses his feelings about post World War II life in California. Ginsberg talks about Walt Whitman, who is a famous poet that died around fifty years prior to this poem. The narrator walks through the supermarket and talks about “neon fruit” and “shopping for images”. These quotes symbolize how fake the new society is. Once the narrator sees Walt Whitman, he describes him as lonely and “eyeing the grocery boys”. The narrator does not like the idea of this new society and how everyone is fake, he likes the idea of Walter Whitman’s time. Whitman lived in a simpler society, where nothing was fake and the families were genuine. The narrator feels stuck in this new society. He uses words that describe a feeling of misplacement, such as “lonely” and “shade”. This poems surroundings are described as dark with lots of extra shade. These surroundings show the audience how the narrator feels in this society. Ginsberg feels that this new society is the “lost America”, and he does not want to be apart of this society.
Allen Ginsberg’s “A Supermarket in California,” written in 1955, is about a man who views the world as an artificial place and attempts to understand and figure out who he truly is. The poem is set in supermarket late at night. The narrator finds himself wandering the ever-busy “neon fruit supermarket,” which he metaphorically uses to depict the artificial and lost American society he lives in. While there he observes everything going on around him, especially how happy and occupied the families, husbands, wives, and babies are. Ginsberg paints these characters in a very bright, colorful, exciting, and busy scene. The narrator is greatly inspired and influenced by American poet, Walt Whitman. In lines 4-5 he imagines that he sees Whitman wandering through the market’s meat aisle alone and eyeing/flirting with the grocery boys. Through darker colors, a monotonous tone, and desperate phrases, Ginsberg reveals Whitman’s homosexuality, loneliness, longing to find a companion. Throughout the poem, the narrator struggles with finding his true self because he is being suffocated by society’s artificiality. His cluelessness and lack of independence and confidence is shown through him constantly following Whitman and asking him what they were going to do next. It is apparent that both Whitman and the narrator are outcasts and do not fit into society very well. In the beginning of the poem, the narrator notices that everyone else in the supermarket has someone with them or have something to do, giving all of them a purpose; while he and Whitman are both lonely and wandering the market “shopping for images,” (Ginsberg) looking for something that is not necessarily tangible. Neither Whitman nor the narrator are able to find that something they were looking for because they did not give into society’s artificiality by “never passing the cashier.”
In Allen Ginsberg’s poem, “A Supermarket in California”, his usage of dark language throughout the poem, such as “solitary”, “lonely”, and “lights out”, shows that Ginsberg is speaking as an outsider in society. The “hungry fatigue” that he faces proves he is looking for something, but exhausted from looking. This leads to his wandering into the supermarket, which is a metaphor where people are searching for new ideas. Although Walt Whitman had been dead years before, Ginsberg feels a connection to him, as he imagines Whitman wandering the market by himself while others are “in the avocados...in the tomatoes!”
My interpretation of this poem is that all the shoppers in the supermarket is a metaphor for Americans striving to reach the American Dream. However the poet describes the supermarket as “neon” to represent how the typical Americans focus on the artificial rather than the truth of life. Therefore, both Ginsberg and Whitman are outsiders within this artificial-driven society because they look deeper into life to find the true meaning.
I think that the "Big Idea" of this poem is the narrator's nostalgia for the "lost America" of the past. He calls to Walt Whitman to seek advice and guidance to help him, in a way, survive the new changes America begins to make after the war. He uses a supermarket as a metaphor for the old and the new. As he describes the people in the store, he mentions that they are shopping new fruit. I think that the fruit resembles the new changes that are happening, because fruit in a store always has to be fresh and new when sold. The other metaphor with food products in the supermarket is when the narrator tries the frozen foods and the meat, which are both items that have lasted a long time in the store. The narrator uses these metaphors and symbols to discuss his need to cling to the past.
According to McKenna Sandoval, Allen Ginsberg is an outsider lost in society attempting to find himself in the metaphorical supermarket, along side of his companion, Walt Whitman. I believe that an aspect of this is my interpretation of the poem but I do not believe that Whitman is an outsider like Ginsberg, like Sandoval suggested and also there is no proof that Allen Ginsberg is the speaker in this poem. Other than those details I agree with Sandoval when she writes, “The ‘hungry fatigue’ that he faces proves he is looking for something, but exhausted from looking” (Sandoval). I agree that the speaker, whoever it may be, is on the search for a true identity in a world he seems to be lost in. I agree that the speaker treats life as if he is not yet apart of it because of the exclusion the speaker faces. I also agree that the supermarket “is a metaphor where people are searching for new ideas” (Sandoval). The speaker is in the market in search of guidance, and to finally feel welcomed. The speaker finds this in Walt Whitman, like Sandoval stated: “I wandered in and out of the brilliant stacks of cans following you” (14-15). The speaker finds a connection to Walt Whitman immediately, “Where are we going, Walt Whitman?” (20). The speaker feels a deep connection that can be inferred as a role model or a crush but there is evidence to support both ways of identifying the level of lust between the two. Sandoval states that Americans in the 1950s are now only focused on the artificial “neon” aspects of life and not the truth, love, and peace ways that once were (5). I agree with this statement and think it is also referenced in the poem when the speaker is talking about walking with Walt Whitman: “Will we stroll dreaming of the lost America of love past blue automobiles in driveways, home to our silent cottage?” (27-28) The speaker believes that the war and other harsh events have destroyed the love that once was surrounding the whole American culture and now feels like an outsider to the “artificial-drive society,” because the speaker has a deeper understanding of how life should be lived (Sandoval).
According to Heather Turcios, the poem is about a man who sees the world as a “fake artificial place.” Turcios sees the meat and “frozen delicacies” as “fake” and “not fresh” people. However, I disagree with calling the speaker a “man” because do we really know if the speaker is a man or a woman? But, I would like to add that the significance of Ginsberg’s A Supermarket in California is to show the loss of American culture. The speaker’s references to dead poets are almost like they want to bring them back and make them alive again. They want American society to remember these iconic poets, who are an essential part of American history, and they don’t want them to be left behind in the pre-war America. The speaker wants to show us that our world has changed by writing, “dreaming of the lost America” (28). This post-war America is full of nice houses, dreamy cars and ideal perfect families, which changes the way people are thinking. By the speaker making constant references to objects, it ties in with the image America has today. America is no longer a world where people read and admire literature, but a world where people are very materialistic and object frenzied. The speaker is trying to show that America has moved away from admiring all these great works of literature, to the image of only craving “automobiles,” “fancy tasting artichokes” and “possessing every frozen delicacy” (29, 19-20). Key works such as “fancy” and “possessing” show that people in this post-war American society are only concerned with one thing, and that is wanting to possess the most fancy of objects such as: the most fancy cars, houses, and food. This post-war America is image driven and people only care about how they appear to the society around them.
Response to A Supermarket in California
According to Ella Gmelich, Allen Ginsberg “describes this world or ‘super market’ as ‘bright’ and ‘neon’ referring to the presence of commercialism and capitalism.” My opinion is different from this. This poem has nothing to do with the fact that it is during a time where War World II had just ended. It’s about how big the world is, and the fact that not everyone feels like they have a place in it. The supermarket is a representation of the world, but all of the things that seem out of place, for example the word “neon,” are exemplifications for things that do not belong. In this “supermarket” are “whole families shopping at night,” but the person speaking is one of the three people in there who is alone (Ginsberg 6-7). The other two poets, Garcia Lorca and Walt Whitman, are in this supermarket, as well, but in reality, both are dead. Gmelich also writes, “From his distaste for the changed society, one can infer that Ginsberg was accustomed to the pre-war America and is foreign to the post war country.” This poem does not mention anything about how life was before World War II, so it’s hard to tell whether or not he likes pre-war or post-war life more. Ginsberg, also, doesn’t tell us if he’s the narrator of the poem, so how do we know it is him with this opinion? Last, Gmelich talks about the relationship between Walt Whitman. This is a statement I believe is more accurate because the speaker spends the rest of his time following Walt Whitman around the store. Whitman is the only person who seems to be as lonely as him. Because the speaker feels so vulnerable in this world/supermarket, where families look happy and whole, they go to find the one person who seems to be the loneliest—a “childless, lonely, old grubber” (Ginsberg 10). The speaker is trying to conform to society to find his place, or at least a place where they won’t feel so alone.
Stephanie Beyer writes that the narrator of the poem is living in a world that is lost, just like the speaker is. Beyer touches base on the fact that the “neon fruit” represents the artificial world and the people living in it are no longer in touch with reality (5). I agree with both of these points that Beyer makes. The speaker of the poem is confused and unsure of himself, so he seeks the help of two men whom he admires. Both Walt Whitman and Garcia Lora are men who the speaker looks up to. He asks, “Where are we going Walt Whitman?”; relying on Whitman to help him find his way (21). The other point made by Beyer was the reference to the “neon fruit”. I agree with Beyer when she makes the claim that the fruit represents the artificial world that has replaced America. This poem compares artificial lives to the true lives. The people living in the new America have superficial values, they value materialistic possessions over other things, “blue automobiles in driveways” (29). I also believe that the speaker could be hinting at the fact that all the people who are alive are superficial and real, whereas the genuine people are deceased. American culture dies with the soldiers in World War II—prior to when this poem was written. Although I agree with some of the points Beyer makes, I differ in opinion with her other claims. Beyer believes that the speaker in the story is Ginsberg himself, when in actuality we have no way of knowing who the speaker is. Additionally, Beyer makes the claim that the fact that Ginsberg and Whitman are feeling ostracized is because they are gay. While I agree that homosexuality alienates these men, Beyer, again, should not be assuming that the speaker in this poem is Ginsberg. Therefore, it would be more correct to say that both the speaker and Whitman could be feeling lonely because they are gay and don’t fit in.
According to Stephanie Beyer, the author Allen Ginsberg is the narrator of the poem, “A Supermarket in California,” because he viewed Walt Whitman as an “influential figure” throughout his life. Beyer states that Ginsberg had an “admiration” towards Walt Whitman, also mentioning the detail that both authors were gay (Beyer). Beyer believes that the narrator of the poem represents Ginsberg himself as he metaphorically follows Waltman through the supermarket. Throughout the poem there is no evidence that Ginsberg is the narrator. Ginsberg didn’t mention who the narrator was or giving any details about the appearance, sex, or sexual preference. Even though Walt Whitman was widely known as a homosexual, there was no evidence of a romantic relationship between the narrator and Whitman. I do agree that the narrator was following Whitman around through “open corridors together” but the action does not mean it was for romantic purposes (18). Ginsberg does mention how the narrator and Whitman are both “lonely” when walking down the “solidary streets” (25, 27). It was true than during the 1950’s being gay was not socially or legally accepted in the United States. Since this poem was written in 1955, assuming the narrator was gay, it would not demonstrate any romantic interest towards Whitman if the narrator is surrounded by other ordinary families. Even though Ginsberg is homosexual it doesn’t connect him to the speaker who shows admiration toward Walt Whitman. I believe that assuming the narrator is Ginsberg, is a statement that could not be textually supported in the poem.
According to Eva Zhu, “Ginsberg and Whitman are both out of the meretricious world; they are more focused on feeling and mental development.” This means that both Ginsberg and Whitman are categorized as outcasts in the society because of their modern view on life, unlike others in the 1950s that all had similar mindset and view on life. However, is it not necessary that Ginsberg is the outcast, it might just be the speaker, or the narrator, in the poem that is the one being an outcast, just like Whitman. But because the 1950s were all about cars, televisions, diners, flashy neon signs, and other inventions, people were obsessed and got distracted by these impermanent objects or materials. Instead of living in the simple and traditional life, people in that era would prefer manmade items, in which this poem also mentioned by using “neon fruit,” “brilliant stacks of cans,” “fancy tasting artichokes” as the representative for the artificial world that people were immersed in (5, 15, 19). Although I agree with Zhu’s perspective on how Ginsberg portrays the material world that people back then are living in, I disagree with her when she stated, “he (Ginsberg) cannot be satisfied by the society and the people around him.” It is not that Ginsberg cannot be satisfied with the society, but the speaker is just lost with how the way the society he or she was living in. Moreover, stating that he is “lonely,” make the reader realize that he has no one to ask for help or seek guide from (27).
According to Ella Gmelich, “Ginsberg was accustomed to the pre-war America and is foreign to the post war country” but where is the proof to this pre-war America in the poem? Gmelich also says that the world post war was “new” and “commercialized.” But I disagree with this, I believe as Gmelich said that the speaker was out of place but not because of this new commercialized world but because of the speaker’s homosexuality. “I walked around down the sidestreets under the trees with a headache self-conscience.” The speaker says side streets instead of the main road. During the time that poem was published being openly gay was illegal, walking under the trees, infers that he is hidden, trying to hide. The speaker is self- conscience incase anyone finds out. Later the speaker says, “followed in my imagination by the store detective,” when a detective followers someone, that means that a person must have done something wrong, in the speakers case, being gay. “Whole families shopping at night! Aisles full husbands! Wives in the avocados, babies in the tomatoes! – and you Garcia Lorca, what were you doing down by the watermelons?” (6-9). The speaker lists normal everyday things, families, husbands, avocadoes, babies and tomatoes but then contrasts it with, “and you.” Garcia Lorca was gay, the speaker specifically uses the “and you” to show a comparison with all the every day things and Garcia Lorca who is in a different location compared to the families in the supermarket. The speaker seems to relate with Walt Whitman, who was “childless,” “lonely” and “eyeing the grocery boys” when saying, “we’ll both be lonely” (25-26). The speaker also repeats, the idea of families, children and loneliness, both families and children are things that gay people can’t have naturally, causing a lonely sensation. “We stroll dreaming of the lost America of love…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” (28-33). The speaker is asking Walt Whitman what was it like when America didn’t ostracize gay people. During the time of Walt Whitman, gay and homosexuality wasn’t a thing, being friendly to the same gender wasn’t thought of as strange or not normal.
According to Anita Ayala, Allen Ginsberg’s poem “A Supermarket in California,” is primarily about how people in society are constantly “running around” and how “Ginsberg can be noticed as very happy and excited, but also as a depressed man” (Ayala). Ayala focuses on the assumed feelings of Ginsberg but in my opinion the speaker in Ginsberg’s poem cannot be automatically associated with Ginsberg himself. This poem can be interpreted in several different ways. I believe the poem is about how the speaker wanders through the supermarket, thinking about those who have died – Walt Whitman and Garcia Lorca – searching for answers and discovering the true meaning of the “lost America.” The speaker begins to notice little details of items in the Supermarket that catches his attention and associates those items with what America is becoming. He notices the “neon fruit” and questions its image because fruit is not necessarily thought of as “neon,” drawing the reader’s attention to something unusual (5). By mentioning the “neon fruit,” Ginsberg may be connecting these odd colors to objects or people in his life who have become obsessed with artificial items and have become materialistic. These changes of being artificial and obsessed with items such as the “blue automobiles in driveways” portray the changes of America after the war (29).
In addition to the speakers search for the true identity of America, Ginsberg portrays the speaker to be lost, confused, and depressed. Despite the fact that Ayala mentions Ginsberg as “a depressed man,” I disagree with the fact that she states “Ginsberg can be noticed as very happy and excited”(Ayala). I view the speaker as a person unsure of himself and constantly in a gloomy mood. While wandering around in the night, the speaker mentions how “we’ll both be lonely” depicting the fact that the speaker is depressed (26-27). Ayala writes “Ginsberg depicts the way the narrator shows how he is very depressed by saying, ‘I saw you, Walt Whitman, childless, lonely old grubber, poking among the meats in the refrigerator and eyeing the grocery boys.’” (Ayala). In my opinion, this quote is not sufficient evidence for this idea because it is expressing how Walt Whitman is portrayed to be depressed but not how Ginsberg portrays the speaker to be lonely.
According to Ella Gmelich, “this poem details how out of place the author, Allen Ginsberg, feels in the post World War II society” (Dmelich). Gmelich believes that the supermarket in California, “as bright and neon,” represents the “commercialism and capitalism” of America during the prosperous time period. She states that the poet distastes the new, alien post war and feels depressed because it is too different from “his simple ‘dark and shady’ world,” and she declares that the poet reflects Walt Whitman, as a “childless, lonely old grubber,” on himself. I agree with her analysis that the supermarket symbolizes the capitalism of post war America and reveals how people values the material lives over all of others. However, I believe that the darkness shown as “trees add shade to shade, lights out in the houses” refers to the real American society under the fake, artificial packaging, instead of Ginsberg’s own shady inner world (26). In addition, as the poet questions that “will we stroll dreaming of the lost America of love past blue automobiles in driveways, home to our silent cottage,” the poet creates contrast occurs between people’s abundant material life, represented by “blue automobiles,” and the “silent cottage,” symbolizing the vacuous spiritual world for Americans (28). Recognizing the huge distinction, the speaker feels alienated to this new post war America and tastes solitude with the company of Whitman as he says, “we’ll both be lonely” (26). Furthermore, Ginsberg is separated from the speaker; therefore, the poem actually expresses the depression of the speaker, but not the poet.
In her interpretation of Allen Ginsberg’s poem, “A Supermarket in California,” McKenna Sandoval claims that this poem is really about two outsiders, Ginsberg and Whitman, who feel uncomfortable in their society full of people trying to reach the American Dream, but who only focus on the artificial. Sandoval argues that through the usage of words like “solitary,” “lonely,” and “lights out” the author hints to the reader that “Ginsberg is speaking as an outsider in society” (Sandoval). I agree with Sandoval that the speaker feels alienated by society, however it cannot be assumed that Ginsberg is the speaker in this poem. I also agree that the speaker “is looking for something, but is exhausted from looking” (Sandoval). I think it can be further argued that the speaker is looking for advice and guidance as he is “walking down the side streets…with a headache self conscious looking at the moon” and that he finds guidance and advice when he sees Whitman because he later does not seem tired and suggests “walk(ing) all night” with Whitman (Ginsberg 2-3, 25). Also if “wandering into the supermarket” is a metaphor for the search for new ideas it can be argued that Whitman provides these new ideas or perspectives as the speaker and Whitman are “tasting artichokes, possessing every frozen delicacy” (Sandoval, Ginsberg 19-20). I also agree that Whitman and the speaker feel lonely however I do not think “others are ‘in the avocados…in the tomatoes!’” is sufficient evidence for this because Garcia Lorca, another poet whom the speaker identifies with, is “by the watermelons” and that would suggest that Lorca is not lonely (Sandoval, Ginsberg 9). I think that the evidence for this argument is in the contrast between phrases like “childless, lonely old grubber,” “solitary streets,” and “we’ll both be lonely” with “whole families…aisles full of husbands…wives in the avocados…babies in the tomatoes” (Ginsberg 10, 25, 26-27, 6-8). The fruit doesn’t show that the people are together, but that they are infatuated with the artificial society. I also agree with Sandoval that this poem is making a statement about the American culture and its turn towards artificial and material goods because it references “blue automobiles in driveways” and at the “neon fruits” represent the processed and manmade society but it is unclear if this is why the speaker and Whitman feel like outsiders because it is the speaker is “shopping for images” and they are “tasting artichokes, possessing every frozen delicacy, and never passing the cashier” arguing that they are participating in society to a certain extent, but not fully indulging because they don’t buy anything (Ginsberg 4, 19-20).
Madison Dawn writes how “neon and bright objects tend to stand out in a crowd, as well as gay people like Ginsberg” and that “Ginsberg is showing his disapproval of society throughout this poem.” I agree with the statement of how he may feel as if he does not fit in with the “whole families shopping at night” because his sexuality would entail a different family than the ones considered to be your typical family at the time the poem was written (6-7). I do think Ginsberg objects to society; however, I believe that he is not specifically expressing his disapproval of society in this poem, but rather expressing the loneliness he feels in the society. Most places in the U.S. at the time ruled homosexual acts illegal, leaving Ginsberg feeling “lonely,” “with a headache” and “self conscious” (Ginsberg 26, 2, 3). Dawn mentions that “Walt Whitman, a very well known poet, who was also gay, was Ginsberg's mentor.” I agree that Ginsberg looks up to Whitman but I believe that it is in a stronger sense than just a mentor, but actually as a partner to whom he can relate, and look to for advice. The speaker describes Whitman as a “childless, lonely old grubber,” and knowing that Whitman and Ginsberg were both homosexuals, I believe that Ginsberg was reflecting his personal feelings when characterizing Whitman in his poem (Ginsberg 10). Ginsberg also explains how he feels connected to Whitman through the quote, “the trees add shade to shade, lights out in the houses, we’ll both be lonely”(Ginsberg 24-26). The wording of this quote is significant because if they are both lonely, how can they be lonely if they are together? This depicts the relationship that Ginsberg and Whitman have because Ginsberg looks up to Whitman as someone who he can relate to, and feels lonely without Whitman alive as a partner for him to go through the unique struggles as he is.
Danielle Azari writes about how Ginsberg was alienated in society because he did not conform to the expectations of his society. I think this is a great point because it stresses that people, more importantly poets like Ginsberg and Whitman, can’t conform to this society because they see how artificial and pretentious it actually is. The speaker refers to Walt Whitman as a “childless, lonely old grubber” because he too is an outsider to this society by not having a wife and children (10). The speaker feels their inability to fit in is so noticeable that the “store detective” begins to follow them. I like how Azari notices that this, but she forgets to mention that this is all in the speakers mind. She writes, “Even the guard in this ‘supermarket’ begins to follow him around because he is suspicious of Ginsberg’s actions, ‘and followed in my imagination by the store detective.’ This man follows him around because he suspects that Ginsberg is someone who does not do things the way society wants them to be done”. She adds the perfect quote, but she doesn’t explain the “followed in my imagination” aspect of it (16). I agree with Azari’s belief that “Society is always pressuring people to become less unique and more like robots, they are being brainwashed and taken away from their values.” This thought is reflected in this poem when the speaker talks about the “blue automobiles in driveways” (28). This image depicts the perfect suburban society America has become after the war, something that both Ginsberg and his role model, Walt Whitman, despised.
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