Home › Glossary › Letter B

Beat Generation poetry

Genre
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A style of poetry from the 1950s–60s Beat movement, characterized by spontaneous composition, jazz rhythms, spiritual seeking, and social rebellion.

Detailed Definition
Beat Generation poetry emerged in 1950s America as a rebellious, spontaneous literary movement rejecting mainstream conformity, characterized by free verse, jazz rhythms, raw confessionalism, and spiritual questing; key figures include Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and Gregory Corso, who championed authenticity over polish.
Example
Example in poetry:
Beat Generation poetry includes Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl” with its breath-driven lines; Jack Kerouac’s haiku-like sketches; Diane di Prima’s feminist Beat verse; the movement rejected academic formalism for raw expression; Beat Generation poetry emphasized spontaneity, jazz rhythms, and social critique
Additional Notes
Beat Generation poetry is the body of work by poets like Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac (1950s/60s) characterized by free verse, jazz-like rhythms, a rejection of materialism, and an open, often explicit, voice; influential on counter-culture.
Also Known As
Beat verse Beat poetry postwar countercultural verse Beat movement poetry Beat poetry tradition
Skip to main content