Chosen by Ginsberg himself from nearly fifty years of experimental, groundbreaking verse, this selection, in his words, ‘summarizes what I deem most honest, most penetrant of my writing’, and includes lesser known and later works which go beyond his iconic Beat Generation image. Presented chronologically, and ranging from early works such as ‘Paterson’ (1949) to selections from White Shroud (1980–85) and Cosmopolitan Greetings (1986–92), and including the classic poems Howl (1955–56) and Kaddish (1959–60) as well as songs, recent uncollected poems and notes by the author, this volume brings together the most intensely personal verse of a great American poet – incandescent explorations that expand the consciousness with their breadth of vision and depth of humanity.