Ferlinghetti. A Coney Island of the Mind

Simply, I love that title. Ferlinghetti just seems to be able to get titles just right. His first book 'Pictures of the Gone World' was exactly that. His poem number 40, ' On Upper Fifth Avenue' stands in my mind as one of the great works of the twentieth century, succinctly capturing the double standards of our time and the legacy that has been left to us by the second world war. Also within that collection, which I highly recommend, is the poem number 26, 'Reading Yeats I do not think', which is re printed here in 'A Coney Island of the Mind'.
It is easy to see the influence that Yeats has had on Ferlinghetti, his famous poem 'Junkman's Obligato' the line "Let's go", a truly colloquial if I may say American saying expression gains gravitas as Ferlinghetti develops it into the Yeats' line and -variations of it- "Let us arise and go now". Beyond merely referencing the Irish Free State Senator, Ferlinghetti has obviously been touched by the observational and symbolic qualities of Yeats' verse which is particularly evident in poem 19 'In woods where many rivers run' with the mythical symbols of rainbows.
Yet one does not read American poetry of the fifties for the symbolism. The beats, which Ferlinghetti is involved with (but when one says Beat Generation Kerouac, Ginsberg, Kesey and Burroughs are the immediate associations that and early deaths.), were deeply political and this is the main thematic strand running through the collection. The first four poems are laced with the poets socio-political views with the idea  that the consumer society which the USA had begun upon would "devour America" framing the rest of the poetry in the book. There is also a deeply anti-religious strand which is less dark and more comic. The poem concerning St. Francis of Assisi and "birds" is a clever word play and a brilliant image of the beat generation.
It would be impossible to review Ferlinghetti without mentioning his poetic form. Milton shocked people by writing beyond rhyme, Ferlinghetti has completely broken all ties with the formal tradition. His verse is the freest of any poet, yet it still maintains a fluidity of nature which makes it a delight to read. Indeed it lends itself easily to being read aloud and the beauty of the words is really best released thus. Beyond that the way in which he is able to draw the reader's attention to a certain point is truly admirable and enjoyable.

I throughly enjoyed this collection and cannot give praise enough.