Modern Poetry
Alicia Holliday
4/14/12
Modern Poetry
Final Essay
Defining Modern Poetry
Defining modern poetry isn’t an easy thing to do. Modern Poetry can be defined as having open or free verse, borrowing from other cultures and languages, formal characteristics, and breaking down social norms and cultures, among other things. However modern poetry is so much more than that. It’s hard to define the limit of the modern age so writing about modern poets isn’t an easy task. Taking a unexpected turn after walking a strait path for a while isn’t unusual. Similarly, poetry doesn’t always walk a strait path, and can try something new. When poetry takes an abrupt turn, it can be referred to as modern. Historically one could define modern poetry as poetry published between 1890 and 1950 in the practice of modernist literature. However the dates of modern poetry depend on a series of factors, including the school, the nation of origin, and the biases of the critic who set the dates. Modern poetry is usually associated with the French Symbolist movement and is rumored to have stated at the same time. The stopping point is said to have been the Second World War ended. Yet some modern poets such as Ezra Pound and T.S. Eliot continued to publish substantial work after World War II was over. To most modern poets, the question of topics such as objectivity seems to be critical. It is said that modern poetry emerged from expressing lyrics, imagination, personal memories of the artist, and different elements of culture. Modern Poetry ends with the introduction of confessional poetry through the work of artist such Sylvia Plath and Robert Lowell. One of my favorite modern poets/ confessional writers is Sylvia Plath. Plath was an American novelist, short story writers, and poet. She was born in Boston Massachusetts in 1932 and both Smith and Newnham College, before she became a poet and writer. Plath was married to Ted Hughes and they had two
4/14/12
Modern Poetry
Final Essay
Defining Modern Poetry
Defining modern poetry isn’t an easy thing to do. Modern Poetry can be defined as having open or free verse, borrowing from other cultures and languages, formal characteristics, and breaking down social norms and cultures, among other things. However modern poetry is so much more than that. It’s hard to define the limit of the modern age so writing about modern poets isn’t an easy task. Taking a unexpected turn after walking a strait path for a while isn’t unusual. Similarly, poetry doesn’t always walk a strait path, and can try something new. When poetry takes an abrupt turn, it can be referred to as modern. Historically one could define modern poetry as poetry published between 1890 and 1950 in the practice of modernist literature. However the dates of modern poetry depend on a series of factors, including the school, the nation of origin, and the biases of the critic who set the dates. Modern poetry is usually associated with the French Symbolist movement and is rumored to have stated at the same time. The stopping point is said to have been the Second World War ended. Yet some modern poets such as Ezra Pound and T.S. Eliot continued to publish substantial work after World War II was over. To most modern poets, the question of topics such as objectivity seems to be critical. It is said that modern poetry emerged from expressing lyrics, imagination, personal memories of the artist, and different elements of culture. Modern Poetry ends with the introduction of confessional poetry through the work of artist such Sylvia Plath and Robert Lowell. One of my favorite modern poets/ confessional writers is Sylvia Plath. Plath was an American novelist, short story writers, and poet. She was born in Boston Massachusetts in 1932 and both Smith and Newnham College, before she became a poet and writer. Plath was married to Ted Hughes and they had two
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