Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Allen Ginsberg's poem "In the Benjo" offers a candid and humorous exploration of an intimate, everyday experience, blending the mundane with a contemplative reflection on the nature of relaxation and self-awareness. The title, "In the Benjo," refers to a Japanese term for toilet, immediately setting the scene for an unusual poetic subject.

The poem begins with a dedication, "To G.S. Reading No Nature," which hints at the influence of another poet or a specific work on Ginsberg's thoughts. This context adds a layer of intertextuality, suggesting that Ginsberg's reflections are part of a broader conversation about nature and the human condition.

Sitting on the toilet, Ginsberg immerses himself in reading, "absorbed page after page," and in doing so, he achieves a state of forgetting—both time and his physical self. This act of reading becomes a form of escapism, allowing him to detach from his immediate surroundings and the physical act of defecation. The line "forgetting my bottom / relax, detritus / flopping out into water" captures the natural, unforced process of the body's function when the mind is otherwise occupied.

Ginsberg contrasts this state of relaxation with the alternative: "pushing and squeezing, / nervous, self-conscious." Here, he highlights the discomfort and anxiety that can accompany a more forced approach to the bodily process. The juxtaposition emphasizes the benefits of a relaxed state of mind, where the body's functions can proceed without conscious effort or stress.

The poem suggests that reading, particularly poetry, can serve as a meditative practice, a way to transcend the physical and enter a more contemplative state. "Better forget and read a book, / let your behind take care of itself" advises that mental engagement with literature can lead to a more natural and comfortable physical experience.

Ginsberg's closing lines, "better than hemorrhoids, a good volume / of poetry," humorously underscore the poem's central theme. The comparison of poetry to a cure for hemorrhoids humorously elevates the act of reading to a remedy for physical discomfort, while also reinforcing the idea that mental relaxation can have tangible benefits for the body.

In "In the Benjo," Ginsberg uses the seemingly trivial act of sitting on the toilet as a metaphor for a broader commentary on relaxation, mindfulness, and the value of literature. The poem's straightforward language and candid tone invite readers to find humor and wisdom in the everyday, reminding us that moments of quiet introspection can occur in the most unexpected places.

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