Irwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and writer, celebrated for being a leading figure of the Beat Generation.

Born on June 3, 1926, in Newark, he formed significant relationships during his time at Columbia University in the 1940s with Lucien Carr, William S. Burroughs, and Jack Kerouac, who together constituted the core of the Beat Generation.

Ginsberg was a vocal critic of militarism, economic materialism, and sexual repression. He openly advocated for various countercultural ideas, including multiculturalism and openness to Eastern religions, while denouncing capitalism and conformity.

His most renowned poem, "Howl", criticized the destructive forces of American capitalism. The poem's explicit descriptions sparked an obscenity trial in 1957, which ultimately concluded that "Howl" was not obscene, upholding freedom of speech.

Ginsberg was a practicing Buddhist and was deeply influenced by Tibetan Buddhist Chögyam Trungpa. He co-founded The Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics in 1974.

Throughout his life, Ginsberg was actively involved in political protests, including the Vietnam War and the war on drugs. His works often highlighted political and social issues, such as "September on Jessore Road", which addressed the plight of refugees during the 1971 Bangladeshi genocide.

His influential works earned him numerous accolades, including the National Book Award for Poetry in 1974 and the National Arts Club gold medal in 1979. He was posthumously recognized as a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 1995 for "Cosmopolitan Greetings: Poems 1986–1992".