By: Mia David

The social and poetry movement, known as the Beat Movement, was formed in the 1950s following World War II. This movement was started by Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and William S. Burroughs.

They chose the word ‘beat’ to mean defeated and worn, to represent how these writers felt about the world of literature at the time and the pressures of society.

The Beat movement had one main goal: to go against the traditional way of writing and behaving and embrace the unorthodox lifestyle. They achieved this goal by writing about topics that were considered taboo and writing using new rhymes and meters.

The movement focused on self-expression, fluid sexuality, and recreational drug use. The people involved in the campaign wanted to move away from what they believed was a joyless and melancholy lifestyle that society pushed.

The movement took inspiration from jazz music they heard in the cities, and they agreed with the beliefs and values found in Buddhism. According to Britannica, the point of the movement was to write poetry about the poet’s individual experiences.

The Beat Generation is considered the most impactful freedom of speech movement in literature.

The movement eventually began to fade out in the 1960s, but it had a lasting impact on the art scene. The Beat Generation inspired the next generation of writers to explore topics of war and social justice issues. This movement also pushed the hippie and bohemian styles and made them more popular.

This group of poets and writers inspired other movements, groups, writers, and artists. A group called the New Left formed, and many people involved in the Beat Generation soon joined that group and showed their support.

Poets weren’t the only ones inspired by this form of expression in writing. This movement inspired many musical artists, such as Bob Dylan and the Beatles.

Although the movement only lasted about a decade, it opened up a world for other artists that followed. It expressed and enforced the right to freedom of speech in writing. It allowed artists to go outside the typical “rules” enforced when writing, composing, or creating art.