Alyssa Perez

Eng 467
Novak
5/15/14
Setting the Angel Free: Finding Individal Identity in the !ines o" Poetry
#i$helangelo on$e said %I sa& the angel in the 'ar(le and I $arved ntil I set hi' "ree)* +is
'edi' &as 'ar(le, his tool &as a $hisel* Poets o"ten "ind the sa'e ins-iration in their &ork, ho&ever
they 'st &rite to set it "ree* .he 'edi' o" a -oet is the verse, the tool is langage* Poets look at a
sitation, "ind their angel, and &rite to set it "ree* In setting their idea "ree, they are -ro/e$ting an idea o"
the'selves or their &orld onto others* .hree -oets 0se" 1o'nyakaa, Allen 2ins(erg, and 3oy +ar/o
have ea$h $hiseled a&ay at their o&n angels to set their ideas "ree* .hese three -oets have atte'-ted to
e4-lore identity in ter's o" otherness, all throgh e4-loring di""erent as-e$ts o" this $o'-le4 $on$e-t*
Ea$h o" these athors e4-lores a di""erent as-e$t o" identity &ithin their -oe's* 1o'nyakaa e4-lores
ra$e and national identity in Tu Do Street, 2ins(erg e4-lores religion and 'ale se4ality in Howl, and
+ar/o e4-lores ethni$ identity and "e'ale se4ality in Kansas City*
.hese three athors all e4-lore identity in ter's o" otherness, ho&ever they all have a
di""erent "or' o" otherness that they "o$s on in their -oetry* In a so$iety do'inated (y the &hite,
heterose4al, 5hristian, 'ale, any deviation "ro' this 'old reslts in otherness* 1o'nyakka e4-lores
otherness 'ainly in ter's o" ra$e, ho&ever he does also look at ideas regarding national identity* For
1o'nyakka, it his deviation "ro' the %do'inate) ra$e that de"ines his otherness* .his otherness, in
ter's o" ra$e, is seen &ithin his -oetry* In his arti$le Yusef Komunyakka: The Unified Vision
Canonization and Humanity, Alvin A(ert dis$sses 1o'nyakka6s -oetry in ter's o" ra$e: %At the
$ore o" 1o'nyakaa6s -rsit o" a ni"ied vision and literary $anonization is his stern resistan$e,
te4talized "or'alisti$ally as &ell as the'ati$ally in his -oe's, to those "or$es in the hege'onos
$onter$ltre ai'ed at e4$lding hi' as an A"ri$an A'eri$an "ro' the ranks o" h'anity)71189*
Althogh 1o'nyakka6s otherness is de"ined in ter's o" ra$e, he is not alone* +ar/o, as an A'eri$an
Indian "e'ale, is not only other in ter's o" ra$e, like 1o'nyakka, (t in gender as &ell*
As an A'eri$an Indian "e'ale living in a &hite do'inated so$iety +ar/o, like 1o'nyakka,
"a$es di""i$lties asso$iated &ith her ra$ial otherness* In her (ook, The ature of ati!e "meri#an
$oetry, Nor'a :ilson addresses the strggle 'any Native A'eri$an &o'en "a$e in the 'odern &orld
and ho& +ar/o e4hi(its this in her &ork* :ilson &rites %***rather than ro'anti$izing the lives o" Native
A'eri$an &o'en, +ar/o &rites trth"lly a(ot the "rag'ented "a'ilies o" 'any o" the' and their
$onse;ent s""ering)711<9* :hile her -oe's de'onstrate ho& ho& this otherness has a""e$ted her in
ter's o" ra$e, she also "o$ses on otherness in ter's o" gender* She, like 1o'nyakka, does not "it the
'old set (y so$iety* In her -oetry, +ar/o s-eaks ot against this so$ietal nor' throgh the se o" a
$hara$ter na'ed Noni =aylight* .hrogh the se o" Noni =aylight, +ar/o 'akes several sggestions o"
"e'inine -o&er in ter's o" se4ality, &hi$h s-eaks ot against the so$ietal nor'* So'e Native
A'eri$an literatre has (een kno&n to have a tri$kster "igre* .his "igre is nor'al re-resented
throgh a 5oyote and is 'ale in gender* +o&ever, in +ar/o6s -oetry she e'-loys a Noni =aylight as the
"e'ale tri$kster "igre* In her arti$le This %oman Can Cross "ny &ine:'eminist Tri#ksters in the %orks
of ora aran(o)*orse and +oy Har(o, 1ristine +ol'es dis$ssed Noni =aylight6s stats as a "e'ale
tri$kster "igre* +ol'es states: %***&e $an vie& Noni***as >an? @hellAraising@ alter egos &ho
sy'(olize>s?, like 5oyote, srvival and $ontinan$e, >+ar/o? -ortray>s? >her? in a "e'ale in"le$ted &ay,
setting "orth a "e'inist revision o" tri$ksteris')7469* 2ins(erg also e4-lores otherness in ter's o"
gender (y sing se4ality, ho&ever he takes it one ste- "rther*
:hile +ar/o e4-lored "e'ale se4ality in heterose4al ter's, 2ins(erg e4-lores 'ale se4ality
in ho'ose4al ter's* !ike 1o'nykka and +ar/o, 2ins(erg does not "it the 'old o" so$iety* 2ins(erg
&as a kno&n ho'ose4al, and this &as re"le$ted &ithin his -oe's* Beat -oetry, in general, also
e4-lores as-e$ts o" 'ale se4ality and "riendshi-* In 5atharine Sti'-son6s arti$le The ,eat -eneration
and Trials of Homose.ual &i/eration, she dis$sses the Beats in ter's o" their ho'ose4al tenden$ies*
She states the Beats (elieved: %#en together $an s--ort, in ea$h other, an enhan$e'ent o" sensation,
a$tion and -oliti$s* In trn, Beats (elieved, an A'eri$an "ear o" 'en together, &hi$h the $rse @Ceer@
signi"ies and sstains, -er'its re-ression and o--ression)7<759* Basi$ally the Beats e'(ra$ed their
se4ality, and the 'ale se4ality o" other 'en, sin$e they (elieved this strengthened the' and their
&ork* +indran$e o" se4al e4-ression &as seen as o--ression* Frther'ore at this ti'e in history, there
(e$a'e a link (et&een govern'ental o--ression and ho'ose4ality* In his arti$le ,eat &iterature and
the Domesti#ation of the "meri#an S0a#e, Doy 1ozlovsky des$ri(es this relationshi-: %In >#$5arthy6s?
;est to esta(lish an A'eri$an Identity (ased on &holeness and -rity, #$5arthy 'ade the nation and
the (ody analogos, -osing $o''nis' and ho'ose4ality as t&o e;ivalent "or's o" 6nnatral6
-enetration "ro' the otside)7<89* Frther'ore, in addition to (eing ho'ose4al, 2ins(erg &as also
3e&ish, &hi$h is another -ie$e that does not "it into the ty-i$al 'old* 2ins(erg6s 3e&ishness is seen
throghot his -oetry* .he "irst e4a'-le o" this is seen in 2ins(erg6s re"eren$e to the idea o" a 3e&ish
'other* In her (ook Sin1in1 in a Stran1e &and #eera Shrei(er dis$sses 3e&ishAA'eri$an -oetry and
its a""e$t on 2ins(erg* She $ondones the idea o" a 3e&ish 'other &hi$h "n$tions as a -ri'ary the'e o"
3e&ish -oetry* Shrei(er states, %:riting at a 'o'ent in history &hen 3e&ishness and -oetry are
$on$eived as $o'-li'entary 7inso"ar as one -lays - the otsider stats o" the other9, &hen 3e&ishness
"igres as a 'eta-hor "or the -oeti$ vo$ation, 2ins(erg is -arti$larly &ell -oised to $lai' the 3e&ish
#other as 'se)7E19* .his idea o" a 3e&ish 'other as a 'se is seen &ithin 2ins(erg6s -oe', Howl2
Althogh all these -oets e4-lore ele'ents o" otherness, it is the individal &ay in &hi$h they -resent
their ideas that is seen in their -oetry* Beginning the 1o'nyakka, $ontining &ith +ar/o, and
$on$lding &ith 2ins(erg, the evalation o" their individal otherness (e$o'es $lear in their -oetry*
In his -oe', Tu Do Street (y 0se" 1o'nyakaa, identity in ter's o" ra$e is e4-lored* Tu Do
Street tells the story o" an A'eri$an troo-6s night ot on the to&n so'eti'e dring the Fietna' :ar*
=ring this ti'e in A'eri$an history, ra$ial relations &ere strained on their ho'e soil, and this is an
idea that travels a$ross the &orld &ith the'* .his -oe', in -arti$lar, sho&s the divide that o$$rs
(et&een (la$k 'en and &hite 'en &ithin the A'eri$an troo-s* .he -oe' (egins &ith the line, %#si$
divides the evening)71o'nyakaa G89, &hi$h is already a sggestion at the ra$ial strggle* It $ontines
&ith the line %'en dra&ing lines in the dst)7G89* In transiting "ro' a "igrative divide o" 'si$
dividing the evening to a 'ore -hysi$al divide o" a$tal lines dra&n, it i'-lies that the division o" these
t&o ra$es is not i'-roving, rather it is (e$o'ing 'ore o" a -hysi$al isse* De"eren$es are also 'ade to
the segregation that o$$rred in 1o'nyakaa6s ho'eto&n, and the lines %(ar girls "ade like tro-i$al
(irds)7G89 i'-lying that the &o'en are avoiding the A"ri$an A'eri$an 'en, rea""ir' this idea*
:ithin this -oe' ideas a(ot national identity are also e4-lored* Sin$e the setting o" this -oe'
takes -la$e otside A'eri$a and deals &ith international relations, the identity o" the A'eri$an -eo-le
as a &hole is o(served (y other nations on the &orld stage* Sadly, it is sggested that the identity o" the
A'eri$an -eo-le at this ti'e is "rag'ented* Althogh the soldiers "ight together to o(tain a $o''on
goal, their $a'araderie is sggested to go no "rther than that, %:e have -layed 3das &here only
'a$hine gn "ire (rings s together)7G89* 1o'nyakaa see's to attri(te this "rag'entation to ra$e,
ho&ever also sggests that this is a s-er"i$ial reason* In the "inal lines o" this -oe', he atte'-ts to
nite the divide that o$$rs (et&een (la$k 'en and &hite 'en (y $reating a $o''on grond throgh
h'anizing all o" the'* .hese last lines are -erha-s the 'ost -o&er"l lines in the -oe':
.here6s 'ore than a nation
inside s, as (la$k H &hite
soldiers to$h the sa'e lovers
'intes a-art, tasting
ea$h other6s (reath,
&ithot kno&ing these roo's
rn into ea$h other like tnnels
leading to the nder&orld7G89*
.hese lines are 1o'nyakaa6s sggestion that A'eri$a6s national identity "rag'entation is derived
"ro' the s-er"i$ial idea that ra$es are di""erent* By $asting the Fietna'ese &o'an as a vessel in &hi$h
(oth &hite 'en and (la$k 'en intera$t throgh, he is essentially sing se4 as a 'ethod o" esta(lishing
h'anity* A(ert dis$sses this idea (y stating: %I'-li$it in these $ondits is a $o''on h'anity,
linked to a $o''on death, "igratively in se4 and literally in &ar, "or (la$k and &hite 2Is alike)71GG9*
In this relationshi-, 1o'nyakaa has esta(lished a $onne$tion a'ong the (la$k and &hite 2I6s throgh
(oth se4 and death, &hi$h (oth h'anizes and /oins the'* In this, he has also sggested that the
national identity o" A'eri$a shold not (e "rag'ented, and there is no need "or segregation sin$e
A'eri$a is one single nation*
In +ar/o6s -oe' Kansas City she e4-lores otherness (oth in ter's o" gender and ra$e* +ar/o
"o$ses on "e'ale heterose4ality and the -ro'otion o" "e'ale -o&er in her -oe'* .hrogh the se o"
Noni =aylight, &ho is a re-resentative $hara$ter o" "e'ale -o&er and se4ality, +ar/o6s e4-loration and
-ro'otion o" otherness is seen in her -oe'* :ithin Kansas City s-e$i"i$ally, Noni =aylight is a
-o&er"l "e'ale "igre &ho e4-resses her "e'ale se4ality "reely* In Kansas City it is des$ri(ed ho&
Noni =aylight had 'any lovers in$lding: %the light one &ho taght her sond), %the (lind one &ho
sa& her (ones &ra--ed), and %the one &hose eyes ti--ed -)7+ar/o G79* It is even said that she raised
%the $hildren she had (y di""erent 'en, all $olors)7G69* +o&ever in these lines, Noni =aylight6s se4al
"reedo' (e$o'es a--arent, and this se4al "reedo' is a sggestion o" (oth "e'inine -o&er and the
e4-ression o" "e'ale se4ality* Sin$e Noni =aylight is seen as an alter ego that -ro'otes $ontinan$e,
it is sggested that the e'(ra$ing, a'ong &o'en, o" their "e'ale se4ality also -ro'otes $ontinan$e*
Another idea a(ot identity e4-ressed in +ar/o6s Kansas City is a(ot ra$e* As a Native
A'eri$an living in a 'odernized A'eri$an, +ar/o has a divided sense o" ra$ial identity* .his sense o"
"rag'entation a'ong her t&o identities is seen throgh the $hara$ter Noni =aylight* As +ol'es -ts
it, %:ith Noni***, +ar/o***en$o'-asses (oth %traditional (elie"s) and %$onte'-orary reality))7459*
+ar/o6s %traditional (elie"s) are those that are derived "ro' her native 5reek heritage, &hile her sense
o" %$onte'-orary reality) is the notions derived "ro' the 'odernized A'eri$an in &hi$h she no&
lives* .hese t&o $ontrasting identities are o"ten at odds &ith ea$h other and this is seen throghot
Kansas City2 .he $onstant strggle this (attle o" identities has on +ar/o is re"le$ted on Noni =aylight in
these lines: %Noni =aylight6s/a dishrag &rng ot over (ones/&at$hing trains $o'e and go***she $old
have/$aght/and 'oved on/(t she $hose to stay/in 1ansas 5ity, raise the $hildren)7G69* .he
des$ri-tion o" Noni (eing $o'-ared to a &rng ot dishrag i'-lies the daily strggle she endres in
raising 'lti-le $hildren, "athered (y 'any 'en, on her o&n* +o&ever althogh she strggles &ith this
identity $risis at ti'es, Noni =aylight is also seen as a "igre o" trans$enden$e (et&een 'odern and
native &orlds* In -la$ing her along train tra$ks, an idea o" travel, 'ove'ent, or $hange is sggested*
Frther'ore 1ansas 5ity &as on$e the lo$ation &here the railroad 'arked the /oining o" the nation*
.his /oining o" the nation is also sy'(oli$ o" the /oining o" Noni =aylight6s t&o identities* +ol'es
&rites %As***Noni travel>s? (et&een &orlds and ena$t>s in? $ltral and gender tensions, >she?
-arallel>s? >her? $reators6 roles &ith regard to langage, art, and tri(al identity, as A'eri$an Indian
&o'en 'oving a'ong and (et&een traditions)7479* .hroghot the -oe' Kansas City Noni =aylight
is a &o'an o" trans$enden$e, 'oving (a$k and "orth (et&een not only -hysi$al land, (t ethni$
(ondaries*
In Howl (y Allen 2ins(erg, otherness in ter's o" 'ale ho'ose4ality is e4-lored* As
'entioned (e"ore, 2ins(erg &as a ho'ose4al and #$5arthy, at this ti'e, &as trying to -rove to
A'eri$a that ho'ose4ality &as &rong* 2ins(erg res-onded to #$5arthy6s idea o" an A'eri$an
identity in these lines o" Howl: %I6' &ith yo in Do$kland/&here &e hg and kiss the Inited States
nder/or (edsheets the Inited States that $oghs all/night at &on6t let s slee-)72ins(erg G69* In these
lines, 2ins(erg has ada-ted the (ody 'eta-hor sed (y #$5arthy and has sed it to sggest that
A'eri$a is si$k (e$ase o" his idea o" a "alse A'eri$an identity* +e alldes to the "a$t that
ho'ose4als love A'eri$a, like any other A'eri$an &old and that ho'ose4ality does not 'ake an
individal less A'eri$an* .he $oghing is sy'(oli$ to the vo$alization against ho'ose4ality at this
ti'e, and 2ins(erg addresses this as &ell (y -aralleling this vo$alization &ith a si$kness* =es-ite
A'eri$a6s si$kness, 2ins(erg states that he still loves A'eri$a and des-ite &hat #$5arthy states a(ot
ho'ose4ality (eing nAA'eri$an, 2ins(erg re'ains an A'eri$an*
2ins(erg6s Howl also atte'-ts to e4-lore otherness in ter's o" religion, in this $ase 3dais'*
=es-ite 5hristianity (eing the do'inate religion, 2ins(erg tilizes the idea o" a 3e&ish 'other as a
'se* .his 'se is $learly seen &ithin the lines o" Howl2 In Howl 2ins(erg &rites the "ollo&ing: %I6'
&ith yo in Do$kland/&here yo i'itate the shade o" 'y 'other)7G49* .his -art o" the -oe' is dire$ted
at addressing 5arl Solo'on, and the e'(odi'ent o" 2ins(erg6s 'other (y Solo'on is an e4-osition o"
this 3e&ish 'other 'se* By saying that Solo'on i'itates his 'other, and then (y $ontinally
addressing Solo'on, 2ins(erg is inadvertently addressing and &riting to his 'other* .hs it is his
3e&ish 'other that is at the root o" his $reative e4-loration* In addition to the 3e&ish 'other 'se, t&o
other e4a'-les o" 3e&ish identity are seen &ithin Howl:
I6' &ith yo in Do$kland
&here yo a$$se yor do$tors o" insanity and
-lot the +e(re& so$ialist revoltion against the
"a$ist national 2olgotha
I6' &ith yo in Do$kland
&here yo &ill s-lit the heavens o" !ong Island
and resrre$t yor living h'an 3ess "ro' the
s-erh'an to'(7G59*
.hese lines have 'any 3e&ish re"eren$es and are a sggestion o" the so$ial o--ression dire$ted at nonA
5hristians, or 3e&s, at this ti'e* .he h'an to'( is a re"eren$e to the state o" li(erty that is holding
A'eri$a6s savior, or "reedo', inside* By resrre$ting the 3ess, &hi$h is a 3e&ish 'eta-hor, A'eri$a
&ill a$hieve tre "reedo', and the 3e&s &ill no longer s""er "ro' this so$ial o--ression* In Howl
2ins(erg is advo$ating that 3e&s shold (e a(le to e4-ress their identity &ithot "earing so$ial
o--ression*
Jverall these athors, and their -oe's, all e4-lore otherness "ro' a di""erent and ni;e
stand-oint* .hey ea$h evalate &hat otherness 'eans to the' on a -ersonal levelK "or 1o'nyakka it is
the e4-loration o" ra$ial and national identity, "or 2ins(erg it is the e4-loration o" identity in ter's o"
'ale ho'ose4ality and 3e&ishness, and "or +ar/o it is the e4-loration o" "e'ale heterose4ality and
ra$ial identity* .heir ideas o" identity on a -ersonal level, "ro' very di""erent -ers-e$tives, allo&s "or a
greater nderstanding o" the identity o" otherness as a &hole* .hrogh the evalation o" their -oe's Tu
Do Street, Howl, and Kansas City it $an (e arged that otherness is a -art o" identity "or anyone &ho
does not "it into the narro& -ara'eters o" so$iety* .hese three -oets, &ith three very di""erent -oe's,
&ritten "ro' three very di""erent -ers-e$tives all have one thing in $o''on: they esta(lish their
identity throgh otherness* .hey are the #i$helangelo6s o" their ti'e, $hiseling a&ay at langage and
sha-ing the verses that &ill set the', and their readers, "ree*

:orks 5ited:
A(ert, Alvin* %0se" 1o'nyakaa: .he Ini"ied FisionL5anonization and +'anity*) "fri#an
"meri#an 3e!iew* Fol* G7 No* 1 7188<9: 118A1G<* 3S.JD* :e(* G1 A-ril GM14*
2ins(erg, Allen* Howl, and 4ther $oems* San Fran$is$o: 5ity !ights Po$ket ho-, 1856* Print*
+ar/o, 3oy* She Had Some Horses* Ne& 0ork: :*:* Norton, GMME* Print*
+ol'es, 1ristine* %.his :o'an 5an 5ross Any !ine: Fe'inist .ri$ksters in the :orks o" Nora
Naran/oA#orse and 3oy +ar/o*) Studies in "meri#an 5ndian &iteratures2 Series G, Fol* 7, No*
1718859: 45A6<* 3S.JD* :e(* G1 A-ril GM14*
1o'nyakaa, 0se"* Dien Cai Dau* #iddleto&n, 5.: :esleyan IP, 18EE* Print*
1ozlovksy, Doy* %Beat !iteratre and the =o'esti$ation o" A'eri$an S-a$e*) "r#hite#htural
"sso#iation S#hool of "r#hite#ture27GMM59: <6A47* 3S.JD* :e(* G1 A-ril GM14*
Shrei(er, #aeera* Sin1in1 in a Stran1e &and: " +ewish "meri#an $oeti#s* Stan"ord, 5A: Stan"ord
IP, GMM7* Print*
Sti'-son, 5atharine D* %.he Beat 2eneration and the .rials o" +o'ose4al !i(eration*)
Salma1undi2 718E<9: <7<A<8G* 3S.JD* :e(* G1 A-ril GM14*
:ilson, Nor'a* The ature of ati!e "meri#an $oetry* Al(;er;e: I o" Ne& #e4i$o, GMM1*
Print*