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Line 1: [[File:KaddishAndOtherPoems.jpg\|thumb\|right\|1st edition]] '''''Kaddish and Other Poems 1958-1960''''' (1961) is a book of poems published by [[City Lights Bookstore]]. '''''Kaddish''''', a poem in two parts written by beat writer [[Allen Ginsberg]], was first published in ''Kaddish and Other Poems 1958-1960''. The book was part of the Pocket Poet Series published by [[City Lights Books]]. In the table of contents, the poem is titled "Kaddish: Proem, narrative, hymmnn, lament, litany, & fugue". Along with "[[Howl]]", Kaddish is said to be one of his greatest masterpieces. ▼ ==Background== ▲~~'''''~~The lead poem "[[Kaddish~~'''''~~ (poem)\|Kaddish]]" also known as "Kaddish for Naomi Ginsberg (1894-1956)", awas ~~poem~~written in two parts written by beat writer [[Allen Ginsberg]], was first published in ''Kaddish and Other Poems 1958-1960''. The book was part of the Pocket Poet Series published by [[City Lights Books]]. In the table of contents, the poem is titled "Kaddish: Proem, narrative, hymmnn, lament, litany, & fugue". Along with Ginsberg's "[[Howl]]", Kaddish is said to be one of his greatest masterpieces. Ginsberg wrote the poem about his mother Naomi, who struggled with mental problems throughout her life. Naomi suffered many psychotic episodes both before Allen was born and while he was growing up. She went in and out of mental hospitals and was treated with medication, insulin shock therapy, and electroshock therapy. She died in an asylum in 1956. ▼ ▲Ginsberg wrote the poem about his mother Naomi after her death in 1956, who struggled with mental problems throughout her life. Naomi suffered many psychotic episodes both before Allen was born and while he was growing up. She went in and out of mental hospitals and was treated with medication, insulin shock therapy, and electroshock therapy. She died in an asylum in 1956. The title ‘[[Kaddish]]’ refers to the mourning prayer or blessing in Judaism. This long poem was Ginsberg's attempt to mourn his mother, Naomi, but also reflects his sense of loss at his estrangement from his born religion. The traditional Kaddish contains no references to death, whereas Ginsberg's poem is riddled with thoughts and questionings of death. After her death, a rabbi would not allow the traditional Kaddish to be read with Ginsberg's Christian and Atheist friends, so he rebelled and wrote a Kaddish of his own. It was begun in the Beat Hotel in Paris in December 1957 and completed in New York in 1959▼ ==Kaddish in Judaism== Ginsberg wrote a screenplay based on the poem. Robert Frank was to direct it, but money could not be raised for the project. In 1972, Robert Kalfin readapted the screenplay for the stage and produced it at the Chelsea Theater Center in the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The play explored Naomi Ginsberg's schizophrenic collapse and made use of innovative video for flashback scenes. There is a detailed description of this production and of behind-the-scenes incidents surrounding it in Davi Napoleon's chronicle of the Chelsea, Chelsea on the Edge: The Adventures of an American Theater. It was also staged in the Habima theater in Israel, translated by Nathan Zach and starring Yoram Khatav as Allen and Gila Almagor as Naomi.▼ ▲The title ‘"[[Kaddish]]’" refers to the mourning prayer or blessing in [[Judaism]]. This long poem was Ginsberg's attempt to mourn his mother, Naomi, but also reflects his sense of loss at his estrangement from his born religion. The traditional Kaddish contains no references to death, whereas Ginsberg's poem is riddled with thoughts and questionings of death. After her death, a rabbi would not allow the traditional Kaddish to be read with Ginsberg's Christian and Atheist friends, so he rebelled and wrote a Kaddish of his own. It was begun in the Beat Hotel in Paris in December 1957 and completed in New York in 1959 ==Proposed film version== Ginsberg wrote a screenplay based on the poem. [[Robert Frank]] was to direct it, but money could not be raised for the project. ==Stage version== ▲~~Ginsberg wrote a screenplay based on the poem. Robert Frank was to direct it, but money could not be raised for the project.~~ In 1972, Robert Kalfin readapted the screenplay for the stage and produced it at the Chelsea Theater Center in the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The play explored Naomi Ginsberg's schizophrenic collapse and made use of innovative video for flashback scenes. There is a detailed description of this production and of behind-the-scenes incidents surrounding it in Davi Napoleon's chronicle of the Chelsea, Chelsea on the Edge: The Adventures of an American Theater. It was also staged in the Habima theater in Israel, translated by Nathan Zach and starring Yoram Khatav as Allen and Gila Almagor as Naomi. ==Overview== Line 17 ⟶ 23: ===A Broader Meaning=== The poem, in addition to being about Naomi Ginsberg’s life, is Allen Ginsberg’s reflection on the meaning of life and death. At many points throughout the poem, Ginsberg comments on the approach of his own death. He also talks about other members of his family and events that surrounded his life with his mother, such as the Great Depression. He relates his experiences and his mother’s sickness with the struggles of people as a whole. The poem also touches on religion and Ginsberg’s confusion and disconnect from his own religion of Judaism. It questions the importance of religious authority and authority in general. ==Structure/Poetic Devices== This poem is similar to [[Howl]] in that it has the same structure. Each line is quite long, and Ginsberg has said these long lines are meant to be read in a single breath. In this and many of Ginsberg’s poems, there is a sense of urgency and hyperactivity. It is as if the poem is just a collection of his memories spilled onto the page. There is no uniform structure to the poem. Some lines are indented, some are not. Ginsberg uses hyphens as punctuation often, and the sentences are often run-ons, brimming with different ideas and images.