One of Allen Ginsberg’s favorite poets was William Blake, and "The Grey Monk" was one of his favorite Blake poems. It was one of a number of poems he had set to music on a 1970 album he produced of Blake’s poetry.

During the protests surrounding the 1968 Democratic convention, he was introduced to the crowd of protestors during MC5’s performance. After some Hare Krishna chanting, he sang this poem. A report in Ginsberg’s FBI file reads "{Name blacked out} advised he observed GINSBERG at Grant Park in front of the Conrad Hilton Hotel in conversation with associates…GINSBERG chanted unintelligible poems in Grant Park on August 28, 1968."

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