Ego Confession (1974). Summary and Description

“Ego Confession” appeared in Mind Breaths (1977), Ginsberg’s sixth collection in the City Lights Pocket Poet Series. Although the subject matter is markedly different from that of Ginsberg’s groundbreaking “Howl,” the two poems share an element of risk taking, of baring the poet’s soul, knowing that he might be subject to ridicule and criticism as a result. It is an exercise in unornamented honesty, a spontaneous composition that helped Ginsberg sort out a quandary in his own mind.

The poem begins auspiciously, with the frank statement “I want to be known as the most brilliant man in America.” Sometimes referred to as Ginsberg’s “Song of Myself,” the opening does call to mind Walt Whitman’s “I celebrate myself, and sing myself.” Such a comparison is apt, too, because Ginsberg sought to carry on the tradition of Walt Whitman in much of his poetry. Ginsberg struggled early on in his writing career to determine the role of the poet in a society that rejected him. In this sense, Ginsberg also unites himself with poetic tradition. In “Ego Confession,” he writes, “I want to be the spectacle of Poesy triumphant over trickery of the world,” perhaps referencing the 16th- century essay “The Defense of Poesy” by Sir Philip Sidney.

This work, a standard in literature classes, defends poetry against those who suggest that it leads society to immorality and is made up of lies. Ginsberg certainly faced similar critiques decades later in his career, in which he had to argue the literary value of his work to censors displeased with his open discussion of his sexuality and drug use.

“Ego Confession” takes on another layer of meaning when examined within the context of Ginsberg’s spiritual life. By 1974, Ginsberg was a devout Buddhist, practicing a faith that focuses on deconstructing the human ego, the individual self. At first, “Ego Confession” seems to contradict that notion. Yet it reveals socially unacceptable feelings in such a public way that the speaker truly appears as a humble voice.

A second irony is that while many people share Ginsberg’s desire to be memorable and well known, Ginsberg himself experienced a great deal of success during his lifetime, seeing much of his work published, praised, and even taught in schools. To see a famous man confessing his desire to be famous renders the entire concept frivolous and leaves author and reader alike feeling a little embarrassed.

For Discussion or Writing
1. Discuss the line “—who had no subject but himself in many disguises.” Apply this as a framework for reading “Howl” or “Kaddish,” two of Ginsberg’s poems that were written specifically for or about someone else. Does his classification of himself ring true in one of those contexts?

2. In his review of Mind Breaths, the New York Times writer Hayden Carruth described “Ego Confession” as being “infused with passionate tenderness.” Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?