Beat generation
An American literary and cultural movement (1950s onwards) emphasising spontaneity, experimental form, anti-establishment values, and spiritual seeking. Beat writers rejected conventional narrative and sought authenticity through jazz-influenced rhythm and emotional directness.
Real World
Allen Ginsberg's 1956 poem 'Howl' was seized by US customs officials for obscenity, triggering a landmark court case that established the poem's literary merit — making the Beat Generation's battle against censorship and conformity a matter of legal record.
Exam Focus
Identify specific formal features (fragmented syntax, jazz-like rhythm) and connect them explicitly to Beat values of spontaneity when addressing AO2.
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