Modernism is a period in literary history which started around the early 1900s and continued until the early 1940s. Modernist writers in general rebelled against clear-cut storytelling and formulaic verse from the 19th century. Instead, many of them told fragmented stories which reflected the fragmented state of society during and after World War I.
Modernism is a tough word to define, because scholars disagree on what it means.We all agree that Modernism changed the way we understand our cultural center and the margins--it redefined what is considered art and is not.It is defined by new stylistic innovations and artists' self-consciousness about questions of form and structure.Modern literature includes work that celebrates the "subliterary," including everyday life, objects, and marginalized voices and people. Some of it is politically engaged; some is not.Most importantly, modernism challenges tradition, while establishing a new mode of poetic expression. It is a "tradition of the new."
We know that literature is mirror of society and Literature always connected with society,religion,politics...etc. whose give perfect shaped literature. Parent's of Victorian age doesn't happy from that literature. " The Wast Land " written by T.S.Eliot is best example of modern poem.
Some Characteristic of Modernism:-
- Individual Perspective came in the existence.
- Stream of consciousness seemed.
- Experiments became necessary.
- Development of Science and Politics.
- Influence of Marxism
- Art for life's sake.
- Loss of Faith.
- Passion for Humanity.
- Increased more questions against..
Modernism includes Imagism, Cubism, Futurism, Dadaism, Expressionism, Surrealism, Symbolism, Impressionism and Existentialism.Modern poetry often features disrupted syntax which refers to irregular sentence structure. Interoperability is also an important aspect of modern poetry. In addition, many modern poems feature a stream of consciousness and use of allusion and multiple association of words which are borrowed from other culture.
1) 'The Embankment'- T.E.Hulme
Once, in finesse of fiddles found I ecstasy,
flash of gold heels on the hard pavement.
Now see I
That warmth’s the very stuff of poesy.
Oh, God, make small
The old star-eaten blanket of the sky,
That I may fold it round me and in comfort lie.
This poem is present an insight about the poor and homeless people. homeless poor people and to denote their characteristic of sexuality poet parents the 'fallen gentleman' which reflects on his past. In this poem speaker prayers to god to warmth and give shelter to live. this represents the basic need of human being is house,cloth,work,sexuality. the homeless people asking for a blanket. this shows that the modern poets are quite practical and presenting actual situation about their wants instead of believing in nature just like sky will be the shelter. There are many metaphor, symbol and images like "Finesse of fiddles", :Flash of gold hills", "Star eaten blanket", Fallen gentlemen.
Here Blanket takes a place of the same image of sky but in the different and more realistic perception of nature.
"old stare-eaten blanket of the sky"
Here we find nostalgia one of universal human Laws.
“Finesse of fiddles”suggesting musical gathering,and flash of gold heels on the hard pavement is use for beautiful women.
2)Darkness- by Joseph Campbell
I stop to watch a star shine in the boghole –
A star no longer, but a silver ribbon of light.
I look at it, and pass on.
Darkness has a very intense symbolic temperaments because it is presenting the darkest and destructive image of World war. this poem using the symbol of "Silver ribbon" and image like "Boghole" it shows the the poet is not interested in the lights of silver ribbon, but he is presenting the failure,which had done. he used the symbol like a star and it may symbolizes the brightness or success which is no longer because of war. this ribbons are nothing else it is a quite escapism from the reality and a intense pessimistic view regarding the Victorian themes. The symbol star contradiction between light and dark, as well as the flamboyant dream of illus-nary life.
Darkness :- Depression, Death, Negativity, Evilness, dullness
* Boghole :- Which can't sustains the weight because of the softness.
* Silver Ribbon :- Mental illness
In this poem poet talking about darkness.
Symbol:
-Night
- Star
3) 'Image' - Edward Storer
Forsaken lovers,
Burning to a chaste white moon
Upon strange Pyres of loneliness and
drought.
The symbol of "THE WHITE MOON" is generally use of the two lowers . literary or geographically the moon can be taken as in interpretation of peace and calmness,but here the poets breaking the traditions of Victorian themes of using nature in a beautiful way he use the symbol of moon in a very contradictory way. but poet here used it in opposite side that it burns lovers and they can't chaste with each other. Their loneliness is there though they are together word 'Forsaken’ means departure or separation to each other.
4) In a station of the Metro" - Ezra Pound
"The apparition of these faces in the crows;
Petals on a wet, black bough"
"A man sees a bunch of faces in the subway and thinks they look like flowers on a tree"
This poem can considered as a huge satire on Victorian poems were, the traditional themes of poetry writing of that age was mainly lengthy and tough. but here the modern poets are writing their poetry is like a metro speed. also satire on the busiest life style of people were they are in the crowd but still individual and so lonely. Here, poet used very good metaphor "Petals on wet black bought". This poem suggest the busy life of city people they have not time to face each other like city life is lifeless. we can say that this poem is about the loneliness in crowd.
The metaphor: the poem implies that the faces are petals on a tree."Faces in the Crowd" (line 1)The first line depicts as unnatural a setting as possible – a crowded subway station. "Petals on a wet, black bough." (line 2)The second line fuses the image of the chaotic and stressful world of man to a peaceful and intense vision of a flowering tree.
5)The pool- by Hilda Dolittle
"Are you alive?
I touched you
you quiver trembling like a sea fish
I cover you with my net
What are you banded one?
'Are you alive? arise the question of existence which is one of the important aspect of modern literature.
If, under the surface, the "who" is a new discovery -- a new lover, for example -- it is alive but appears dead at first. It awakens to love's touch and must be "banded" by the net -- hence the fearfulness.
Pool as Mirror
Doolittle's pool may be a mirror. The poet, who is bisexual, may be capturing her inner self, "banded" to a gay-repressive society's idea of her legitimate being. This interpretation increases the fearful tone; Doolittle is afraid to free herself.
#.The Pool' - Hilda Doolittle:
The pool- gives an idea about swimming pool ,which is against nature of water.The water in pool can't move.
Water is like purity and rebirth.
6) "Insouciance"- By Richard Aldington
"In and out of the dreary trenches
Trudging cheerily under the stars
I make for myself little poems
Delicate as a flock of dovesin
Thy fly away like white-winged Doves.
In his short poem “Insouciance,” written just a after World War I ended, Aldington composed this odd little poem. In it, Aldington describes life in the trenches and how poetry kept him alive and happy.
"I make for myself little poem"
It is oddly light-heated when compared with modern ideals of war poetry. The personification of poems as “white winged doves” that fly away is liberating and helps understand his perspective on the arts and why they kept him alive and happy during trying times.
"In and out of the dreary trenches"
this is a modern culture of living life and feeling of isolation is there.
#.Insouciance-Richard Aldington
The symbols in the poem are:
Dreary Trenches
Truding cheerily
Flock-winged.
7)"Morning at the window"- T.S.Eliot
They are rattling breakfast plates in basement kitchens, And along the trampled edges of the street
I am aware of the damp souls of housemaids
The brown waves of fog toss up to me
Sprouting despondently at area gates.
And tear from a passer-by with muddy skirts
Twisted faces from the bottom of the street,
An aimless smile that hovers in the air
And vanishes along the level of the roofs.
The present poem about the modern view of England. The main idea of the poem is poverty, it presents the picture of poor people. who have to face several hardship from morning to the late night.
There are vivid images that makes the poem imagist one for
e.g- "Rattling breakfast plates",= Impersonal introduction of character.
"And along the trapled edges of the street"= Indication of low social class
"I am aware of the damp souls of housemaid
s" =
The highlighted metaphor suggests the housemaids' souls are "damp," like festering, material that is left outside.
"Damp souls"= abandonment and loneliness
In this poem many word like 'rattling’,damp souls’, despondently’, twisted faces’.
The poet has described leaf fall like autumn. So it is modernist metaphor.
8.) The Red Wheelbarrow -William Carlos Williams
so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow
glazed with rain
water
beside the white
chicken.
The poem sings a song of craftsmanship. Poet says, 'so much depends upon a red Wheelbarrow. It glazes in rain like white chickens. Though industry and factories have took place, craftsmanship is also important.
#.The Red wheelbarrow-Williar carlos william:
Here in this poem many dual symbol like,
red-white
rain-water
wheel-barrow
As i believe the word 'white chicken' suggest a child.
Metaphor:
The wheel barrow -hardworking life of Americans at that time.
We can also conclude that the poet is talking about America, because the different images in the poem (wheelbarrow, rain, and chickens) are the colors of the American flag (red, blue, and white)
9) "Anecdote of the jar- wallace stevens
I placed a jar in Tennessee,
And round it was, upon a hill.
It made the slovenly wilderness
Surround that hill.
The wilderness rose up to it,
And sprawled around, no longer wild.
The jar was round upon the ground
And tall and of a port in air.
It took dominion everywhere.
The jar was gray and bare.
It did not give of bird or bush,
Like nothing else in Tennessee.
This is a imaginative poem which exaggerate the picture of jar. Poet placed that jar upon hill, jar reminds us the Grecian urn of Keats. Poets sing the glory of the jar and also ask the question that which is superior 'a work of art or nature?'
Stevens also use the symbolism
e.g= Inside the jar one is able to extract weakness,pain.
= The jar was placed in Tennessee is symbolic of bottled up emotions within the person.
Metaphor= jar-civilization
10) "I (A- E.E.Cummings
"A leaf falls with loneliness"
This poem puts into the perspective of what loneliness feels like. the poet may think Everyone in the world feels lonely. It's inevitable. Just like how there are millions of people in the world and all of them feel lonely, there are millions of leaves on millions of trees, and when they fall to the ground, they are all alone.
Apart from loneliness and a leaf falls, the l and loneliness are separated really emphasizing that loneliness and being completely by one's self
The image in the poem is loneliness and a leaf. we can connect with death of human with fallen leaf. So, isolation is the main theme and image of this one line poem.
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