America Themes
Dissatisfaction
When a poem begins with a speaker declaring "now I'm nothing," you know you're in for a heapin' helpin' of some good ol' dissatisfaction. In fact, reading this poem is a lot like listening to that...
Madness
Does the world just drive you crazy some times? And not in that fun Britney Spears sorta way? The speaker of "America" is definitely not having as much fun as Brit is in that song. In fact, he's so...
Society and Class
On the surface of things, America is a country without classes. According to the story of the American dream, people can become just as wealthy and prosperous as they want to be, provided that they...
Politics
Maybe you know a political junky—you know, the kind of person who devours blogs for breakfast, followed by a steady diet of cable news. Heck, some people go so far as to voluntarily watch congres...
Visions of America
When reading Allen Ginsberg's "America," it's helpful to see the speaker not as some ranting lunatic, but (and stay with us here) as an artist, painting a national landscape. As he details his comp...