3: Photograph, Allen and Naomi Ginsberg, circa 1935.

3: Photograph, Allen and Naomi Ginsberg, circa 1935.

While students may have an easy time picturing the middle-aged Ginsberg with his Whitmanesque beard, Naomi can easily remain lost in the swirl of details in the poem. So, too, can the idea of Ginsberg as a child, as someone’s son. This photo offers a seemingly objective snapshot of their relationship, one that can help to ground students in the poem and to highlight its emotional details.

Suggested Activity: Ask students to look at this photograph of a young Allen Ginsberg and his mother, Naomi. Describe the relationship the photograph presents between mother and son and the emotions seemingly present for each. (Direct students to pay close attention to body language and facial expressions.) Does seeing this image add resonance to the poem? Have students construct a rough timeline of the events described in the poem. Where would this photograph fit on the timeline? Does this context change the meaning they take away from the picture?

Source: Courtesy Allen Ginsberg Collection / Stanford University Libraries.