Mikhail Bakhtin's 'Rabelais and His World,' published in 1965, offers a rich analysis of the carnivalesque and the subversive potential of humor and grotesque realism in literature. Bakhtin examines how folk culture and laughter can challenge established norms and hierarchies, particularly in the context of Rabelais' works. This text has had a profound impact on literary criticism and cultural studies, encouraging a reevaluation of the role of the comic and the popular in shaping social discourse.

Mikhail Bakhtin's 'Rabelais and His World' revolutionized literary theory, influencing poets like Allen Ginsberg and the Beat Generation to embrace polyphony and subversive humor in their works. Bakhtin's ideas on the body and the margins became foundational for experimental poetry.