Kaddish

poem by Ginsberg

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June 30, 2026

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The term "Kaddish" has two primary meanings. In Judaism, it is a doxology, or hymn of praise to God, recited in Aramaic during synagogue services. It expresses praise and a plea for God's kingdom, and it is also recited by mourners for a period after a relative's death.1

Separately, "Kaddish" is also the title of a significant long poem by American poet Allen Ginsberg. Written in 1961, this work is a confessional lament for his mother, exploring his relationship with her, her insanity, and her death. It is considered one of Ginsberg's most important pieces and is associated with the Beat movement.2

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American literature
Experimentation and Beat poetry
…elegy for his mother, “Kaddish” (1961), gave powerful impetus to the Beat movement. Written with extraordinary intensity, these works were inspired by writers as diverse as Whitman, the biblical prophets, and English poets William Blake and Christopher Smart, as well as by the dream-logic of the French Surrealists and…
Read More
…elegy for his mother, “Kaddish” (1961), gave powerful impetus to the Beat movement. Written with extraordinary intensity, these works were inspired by writers as diverse as Whitman, the biblical prophets, and English poets William Blake and Christopher Smart, as well as by the dream-logic of the French Surrealists and…
Read More

Allen Ginsberg
…earlier poems, appeared along with Kaddish and Other Poems in 1961, followed by Reality Sandwiches in 1963. Kaddish, one of Ginsberg’s most important works, is a long confessional poem in which the poet laments his mother’s insanity and tries to come to terms with both his relationship to her and…
Read More
…earlier poems, appeared along with Kaddish and Other Poems in 1961, followed by Reality Sandwiches in 1963. Kaddish, one of Ginsberg’s most important works, is a long confessional poem in which the poet laments his mother’s insanity and tries to come to terms with both his relationship to her and…
Read More