Conclusion
Since 1959 there have been 56 movies made
explicitly about or by members of the beat
generation (Wilis, 2018). Throughout the course of
this essay, I have looked at over thirty beat poets
in total, from Paul Blackburn, David Meltzer and
Lew Welch to Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac. I
have critically examined each one for shamanic
elements. I have, in addition, given, at the
beginning of this piece, a brief history of the beat
generation and a brief history of shamanism. I
have tried to make as much connections as
possible between each poet to the next and give an
elaborate understanding of definitions which
relate to shamanism. I have drawn heavily on the
research of both Reisman, 2012 for beat poetry
and Harvey & Wallis, 2007 for shamanism. I have
tried to collate the two understandings with
which, I believe, is a unified understanding akin to
Panecka's 2018 study of Ted Hughes as shaman.
"The Basic Beat": Shamanic Elements in beat
poetry aims to further the readers understanding
of both the beat generation poets and the concept
of shamanism. It is hoped that I have somewhat
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