A beatnik was a member of the Beat Generation (late 1950's - early 60's), a nonconformist in dress and thought.
The Beatniks were known for wearing black turtleneck sweaters, stove-pipe trousers, dark glasses and berets. They used to hang out at coffee shops where they would recite poetry (sometimes accompanied by bongo drums), experiment with marijuana and talk about jazz or the people/society/regimes that were oppressing them (and trying to make them conform). Their poetry often resembles Rimbaud, Blake and Whitman.
The Beatniks (or Beat Generation) pre-dates the hippie movement by about 10-15 years.
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