Allen Ginsberg was an American poet, best known for his poem 'HOWL'. He was a leading figure of the Beat Generation in the 1950s and is considered one of the most influential poets of the 20th century. Ginsberg was born in Newark, New Jersey, and attended Columbia University. He was a close friend of Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs, and was a major influence on the counterculture of the 1960s. His work often focused on themes of social injustice, free speech, and anti-war activism.