Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, MULTIPLE IDENTITY QUESTIONNAIRE, by ALLEN GINSBERG


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

MULTIPLE IDENTITY QUESTIONNAIRE, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: I'm a jew? A nice jewish boy?
Subject(s): Gays & Lesbians; Jews; Buddhism; Self; Identity; Homoeroticism; Lesbians; Gay Women; Gay Men


Nature empty, everything's pure; Naturally pure, that's what I am."
I'm a jew? a nice Jewish boy?
A flaky Buddhist, certainly
Gay in fact pederast? I'm exaggerating?
Not only queer an amateur S&M fan, someone should spank me for
saying that
Columbia Alumnus class of '48, Beat icon, students say.
White, if jews are "white race"
American by birth, passport, and residence
Slavic heritage, mama from Vitebsk, father's forebears Grading in
Kamenetz-Podolska near Lvov.
I'm an intellectual! Anti-intellectual, anti-academic
Distinguished Professor of English Brooklyn College,
Manhattanite, Another middle class liberal,
but lower class second generation immigrant,
Upperclass, I own a condo loft, go to art gallery Buddhist Vernissage
dinner parties with Niarchos, Rockefellers, and Luces
Oh what a sissy, Professor Four-eyes, can't catch a baseball or drive a
car-courageous Shambhala Graduate Warrior
addressed as "Maestro" Milano, Venezia, Napoli
Still student, chela, disciple, my guru Gelek Rinpoche,
Senior Citizen, got Septuagenarian discount at Alfalfa's Healthfoods
New York subway-
Mr. Sentient Being!-Absolutely empty neti neti identity, Maya Nobo-
daddy, relative phantom nonentity





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