A quintessential "beat" poem, "America is frenzied, eclectic, and unpolished. Given that it's part of a collection called Howl, it's fitting that it reads as an epic rant—in this case, against the title country, which Ginsberg condemns for the dominance of political propaganda and the power of the media. Still, Ginsberg also conveys a more serious, earnest sentiment beneath all the bluster, showing some sense of connection to his homeland, no matter how much it's been beat down (get it? Because he's a beat poet).
Think about the chaotic form of Ginsberg's poem and its use of absurdity and satire. Does this help or take away from the serious points that it makes? How does that fit into the "high vs. low culture" debates of early cultural studies theorists?
This poem was written in 1956. How might a cultural studies scholar find it relevant to present-day America, and the Western world in general?