The Beatnik Impact From the Renaissance to Postmodernism, many writers have experimented with and challenged the form, style, and content of both poetry and prose. Most of these writers can be grouped into a certain period that influenced or highlighted their work. These writers of the past were inspired by the world around them, whether it was social changes or their personal lives. When similar writing styles occur from multiple writers during a period, that period becomes known as a period such as the Romantic period or the Modern period. Along with the periods there are two other classifications. These are known as writing movements or writing groups. The difference between a movement and a group is that a movement is a trend within a period and a group is a circle of writers who go beyond what the movement or period is doing. None of these classifications happen on their own. There is always something that the period, movement or group responds to. One of the most influential groups of the past is known as the Beat Generation. This group of writers, also known as beatniks, became present in the literary community from the late 1940s to the 1960s. Although the group was small and their time in the spotlight was shorter than that of many other movements or periods, these writers brought a very different perspective to the modern and postmodern periods with their anti-intellectual, anti-establishment, and anti- policies. The literature of the 1950s and 1960s was greatly influenced by the Beat Generation's response to the Second World War and their lifestyle. The Beat Generation formed in New York in the late 1940s, after the end of World War II. Oliver Harris, author of the article “Beating the Academy”, stated that Jack Kerouac coined the t...... middle of paper....... Web. April 27, 2014.Martin, Michelle. “The Burden of Legend: Beat Studies in the Twenty-First Century.” Journal of Modern Literature 36.4 (2013): 161-172. MLA international bibliography. Network. April 27, 2014.Theado, Matt. "Literary Criticism of the Beat Generation". Contemporary Literature 45.4 (2004): 747-761. Comprehensive humanities international. Network. 27 April 2014. Tommaso, Lorenzo. “‘Communicating with the Horns’: Jazz and Redemption in Rhythm Poetry and the Black Arts..” African American Review 26.2 (1992): 291. MasterFILE Premier. Network. April 27, 2014.van Elteren, Mel. "The Beat Subculture: A Sociological Revisiting." Journal Of American Culture 22.3 (1999): 71.America: History and Life. Network. April 27, 2014.Weinreich, Regina. “The Beat Generation is now about everything.” University Literature 27.1 (2000): 263-268. MLA international bibliography. Network. April 27. 2014.