Customer Reviews

The Happy Birthday of Death

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Gregory Corso is the only member of the Beat Generation who seems to be left out of the current revival of the Beats literature among today's youth. Which is a shame , because they're missing out on what is, in my opinion, the best poetry of the genre. "The Happy Birthday of Death" is the best example of this, as Corso makes a language that is uniquely his own, the sign of a first-class poet. The best poem is without a doubt "Bomb", his love ode (!) to nuclear war, but other titles such as "Power", "Army", "Police", and "Marriage" stand out as well as examples of "pure poetry" (to quote Ginsberg), deep in imagery and passion. The problem is, most people have never had the pleasure to read Corso's work. For myself, I don't know what I'd do without it.

Perhaps the man who along with Allan Ginsberg altered the way poetry was written and percieved. This is by far his most eclectic collection, featuring the masterful BOMB (perhaps the ultimate epithath for the 20th century) and the brilliant and moving MARRIAGE, POWER, CLOWN and POLICE more of the contents that show what a clever witty deep commentator Corso is. Poems you can mull ove? Definatly! Poems you can analyse? Undoubtable! But here is a collection you can read again and again and enjoy again and again.

Gregory Corso must have been sitting in an empty room, with nothing more to think of than the emotions controlling his mind. In this book of poetry, the reader will gain a new appreciation for his work. The Happy Birthday of Death is one of the most powerful, and intense collections of writing available.

I fell upon this book in my university library on a cold, miserable, lonely afternoon. I sat under a maple tree and reading it suddenly I am uplifted, inspired renewed and in love with the verse of Corso, so much so that I had to not only own it but write essays about it, I am, like so many others saddened and grieving that he is so understated. "Marriage" is particularly delectable, though my favourites would have to be "Hair" and "Park". Corso gives what so many poets do not; a joyous and truly wonderous love of words, such that my own writer spirit is awakened. I recommend this book highly to any with a youthful, playful spirit. This is for the artist's heart. Corso has moved me, for you I hope he will do the same.

Historic reference of import: January 1st 1947, the Manhattan Project is given to the United States Atomic Energy commission. The date of publication for this collection closely corresponds. The focus is death, but what is more interesting is all the matter surrounding it, which Corso masterfully draws (i.e. the chaos). In the midst, Police brutality and the Cold War and Civil Rights Movement bombarded citizens every day. One of the jobs of a poet is the preservation of time. The Beat Generation is born out of the Modernists such as William Carlos Williams. Gregory Corso is not the standard poet aligning with the Modernist tradition. An intense energy radiates that is very difficult for the reader to contain, which is parallel to the energy of emotions spawned from this momentous event, which changed the World.

This was the first Beat book of poetry I ever read, in my teens, and I felt compelled to read more. So I moved on to Ginsberg, and others. There's a poem in this collection that I get a real kick out of and I absolutely love. It's called "Marriage." Very funny and amusing. These poems are really unconventional and highly imaginative in their use of language and free form.

David Rehak
author of "Poems From My Bleeding Heart"

I recomend this book to everyone.it is funny,intellegent,and thrifting