Asked by jk

Read this excerpt from Diane Di Prima’s poem "Buddhist New Year Song."
I could see the planet from which we had come

I could not remember (then) what our purpose was
but remembered the name Mahakala, in the dawn

in the dawn confronted Shiva, the cold light
revealed the “mindborn” worlds

How do the allusions exemplify Beat poetry?
The allusions offer images of nature for the excerpt.
The allusions are influenced by Buddhism and Hinduism.
The allusions recount historical fact for the excerpt.
The allusions connect to consumerism.

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
The allusions are influenced by Buddhism and Hinduism.

Mahakala and Shiva are deities from Buddhist and Hindu traditions; Beat poets frequently drew on Eastern religion and mysticism to create visionary, anti‑materialist, spiritual imagery—exactly what this excerpt does.