Irwin Allen Ginsberg (; June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression. Ginsberg is best known for his epic poem "Howl", in which he celebrated his fellow "angel-headed hipsters" and harshly denounced what he saw as the destructive forces of capitalism and conformity in the United States. This poem is one of the classic poems of the Beat Generation. The poem, which was dedicated to writer Carl Solomon, opens:

In October 1955, Ginsberg and five other unknown poets gave a free reading at an experimental art gallery in San Francisco. Ginsberg's "Howl" electrified the audience. According to fellow poet Michael McClure, it was clear "that a barrier had been broken, that a human voice and body had been hurled against the harsh wall of America and its supporting armies and navies and academies and institutions and ownership systems and power support bases." In 1957, "Howl" attracted widespread publicity when it became the subject of an obscenity trial in which a San Francisco prosecutor argued it contained "filthy, vulgar, obscene, and disgusting language." The poem seemed especially outrageous in 1950s America because it depicted both heterosexual and homosexual sex at a time when sodomy laws made homosexual acts a crime in every U.S. state. "Howl" reflected Ginsberg's own homosexuality and his relationships with a number of men, including Peter Orlovsky, his lifelong partner. Judge Clayton W. Horn ruled that "Howl" was not obscene, adding, "Would there be any freedom of press or speech if one must reduce his vocabulary to vapid innocuous euphemisms?"

Allen Ginsberg [] (* 3. Juni 1926 in Paterson, New Jersey; † 5. April 1997 in New York City) war ein US-amerikanischer Dichter der Beat Generation.

Allen Ginsberg, né le à Newark, décédé le à New York d'un cancer du foie, est un poète américain et un membre fondateur de la Beat generation.

Irwin Allen Ginsberg, född 3 juni 1926 i Newark, New Jersey, död 5 april 1997 i East Village på Manhattan, New York City, New York, var en amerikansk poet och författare.

Irwin Allen Ginsberg (ur. 3 czerwca 1926 w Newark w stanie New Jersey, zm. 5 kwietnia 1997 roku w East Village, na Manhattanie w Nowym Jorku) – amerykański poeta, działacz społeczny, członek American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. Jeden z najważniejszych twórców tzw. poezji konfesyjnej i lider ruchu artystycznego określanego jako Beat Generation. Był również znaczącą postacią kontrkultury amerykańskiej, już za życia owianą barwną legendą i otaczaną kultem. Stał się jedną z głównych postaci powieści Jacka Kerouaca W drodze.