Long Live Man

What does it mean to celebrate being human—to shout "Long live Man!" despite atom bombs and cold wars, despite too many cars and too little love? Gregory Corso's Long Live Man is one of the most joyful and life-affirming works of Beat poetry, a 1962 collection that celebrates the wonders, laughs, and griefs of being alive with visionary intensity and street-smart wisdom. Whether musing on antic glories amid the ruins of the Acropolis or watching a New York child invent games on city sidewalks, Corso transmutes reality into something more through the magic of vision and awakening images. This is poetry that refuses despair, that finds beauty and meaning in the human condition even amid the absurdities and terrors of modern life. With characteristic blend of surrealism, humor, and mystical seeking, Corso invites us to share his joy and echo his defiant shout: Long live Man!

Corso is not writing from detachment but from deep engagement with life in all its contradictions. The poems ask: How do we affirm humanity in an age of nuclear threat and spiritual emptiness? Where do we find wonder and meaning in the modern world? What does it mean to be fully alive, fully human, despite everything? Corso shows us that poetry can be an act of celebration and resistance, that vision can transform the ordinary into the sacred, and that the human spirit endures even in the darkest times.

For readers seeking contemplative wisdom in Beat poetry, Long Live Man offers a meditation on humanity, wonder, and the courage to affirm life. This is a book for anyone drawn to visionary and surrealist poetry, who seeks Beat literature that celebrates rather than laments, who loves the intersection of street wisdom and mystical vision. It's a reminder that the greatest poetry says "yes" to existence, and that being human—with all its laughs and griefs—is worth celebrating.

What You'll Discover

• Gregory Corso's 1962 celebration of humanity and existence
• Visionary poetry blending surrealism, humor, and mystical seeking
• Poems ranging from the Acropolis to New York City sidewalks
• Beat poetry that affirms life despite modern absurdities and terrors
• Street-smart wisdom and awakening images that transmute reality

Gregory Corso (1930-2001) was a central figure of the Beat Generation, known for his visionary imagination, street-bred authenticity, and unique blend of surrealism and mysticism. Raised in foster homes and reform schools, largely self-educated in prison, Corso brought a raw honesty and antic energy to Beat poetry. Long Live Man, published in 1962, represents his mature voice—celebrating humanity with defiant joy and transforming the ordinary into the visionary.

Perfect for: Readers seeking Beat Generation poetry and visionary verse, students of Gregory Corso and Beat literature, those drawn to surrealist and mystical poetry, anyone interested in poetry that celebrates humanity and existence, admirers of street wisdom and urban poetry, seekers exploring joy and affirmation in dark times, students of 1960s counterculture and Cold War era poetry, those interested in poetry that blends humor and depth, readers who love Ginsberg, Kerouac, and the Beats, anyone seeking poetry that says "yes" to life and shouts "Long live Man!"

New Directions paperback edition. Gregory Corso's joyful Beat masterwork—offering visionary poetry that celebrates the wonders, laughs, and griefs of being human with defiant affirmation and mystical vision.