Question

Select the correct answer. What does Moloch represent in this excerpt from Allen Ginsberg’s poem "Howl"?

Answer 1

Moloch is many sinister things in this excerpt, it shows no love to people in Moloch the loveless, it represents the bad side of capitalism -- we can see this in the passage Moloch whose blood is running money which means that the only thing it cares about is money. In Moloch whose mind is pure machinery! We see that Moloch is the system that creates machines and industries, probably disregarding people and the environment.

It is the cold bureaucratic government in parts like Moloch the crossbone soulless jailhouse and Congress of sorrows! Moloch whose buildings are judgment!

Moloch  is also a war machine in Moloch whose fingers are ten armies! Moloch whose breast is a cannibal dynamo! Moloch whose ear is a smoking tomb! if we think that wars demand production and the selling of weapon it becomes easy to see how these Molochs represent one sinister cohesive thing, the desire for power, war and money.