'' The Fall of America : Poems of These States , 1965 – 1971 '' is a collection of poetry by Allen Ginsberg , published by City Lights in 1973 , for which Ginsberg shared the annual U.S. National Book Award for Poetry . It is characterized by a prophetic tone inspired by William Blake and Walt Whitman , as well as an objective view characterized by William Carlos Williams . The content is more overtly political than most of his previous poetry with many of the poems about Ginsberg 's condemnation of America 's actions in Vietnam . Current events such as the Moon Landing and the 1968 Democratic National Convention , the death of Che Guevara , and personal events such as the death of Ginsberg 's friend and former lover Neal Cassady are also topics . Many of the poems were initially composed on an Uher Tape recorder , purchased by Ginsberg with the help of Bob Dylan
1968 Democratic National Convention
1968 Democratic National Convention
The Fall of America: Poems of These States