Question

Whose belief in civil disobedience did the Beats emulate?

a. Henry David Thoreau
b. Lawrence Ferlinghetti
c. Amiri Baraka
d. Ezra Pound

Answer 1

The Beats emulated the belief in civil disobedience of Henry David Thoreau, an American author known for his essay 'Civil Disobedience' and his book 'Walden'.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Beats, a group of writers and artists who rose to prominence in the 1950s, were known for their opposition to societal norms and embrace of nonconformity. In terms of civil disobedience, the Beats emulated the beliefs of Henry David Thoreau. Thoreau, an American author and philosopher, articulated the concept of civil disobedience in his essay “Resistance to Civil Government,” later known as “Civil Disobedience.” Thoreau's philosophy advocated for individuals to resist unjust government practices in nonviolent ways, which greatly influenced the political thoughts and actions of figures such as Leo Tolstoy, Mohandas Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr.

In his works like “Walden” and “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience,” Thoreau insisted on standing by one's principles and living a simple life by choice, which often meant breaking with societal norms when they conflict with personal moral beliefs. The Beats admired this stance and incorporated Thoreau's ideals into their own quest for individual freedom and social reform.

Answer 2

Answer: the correct answer is Ezra Pound.

Explanation: There is an essay describes the image of the American modernist poet Ezra Pound as presented by the best-known representative of the Beat Generation Allen Ginsberg and the San Francisco poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Ginsbergʼs opinionl of Pound is seen as complete to his long-time effort to gain broader recognition for the work of the Beats. The development of Ferlinghettiʼs views of Pound is defined, attention is paid not only to the poetʼs literary work, but also to his art.

Ezra Weston Loomis Pound is an expatriate American poet and critic, and a main figure in the early modernist poetry movement. His benefaction to poetry began with his development of Imagism, a movement derived from classical Chinese and Japanese poetry, emphasizing clarity, precision and economy of language. His works include Ripostes (1912), Hugh Selwyn Mauberley (1920) and the unfinished 120-section epic, The Cantos (1917–1969).