Modernism in Literature
MODERNISM
The literary movement that spanned from the late 19th century until roughly 1965 is referred to as modernism. When talking about the movement there must be an understanding of the difference between modernism and the more common word “modern”. The word modern refers to what is new, recent, and updated. Although modernism does deal with the futuristic and the new, it also covers vastly more topics and themes. Modernism reaches into rebellion, struggle and harsh realities. From there it stretches into abstraction and a break from idealistic vision. Modernism is only modern in the sense that it comes from the desire of those involved to break away from the old, traditional ways of thinking and expression and to come into their current situations with a new view of reality and art.
Modernism was spurred into being largely by a few events in history that shocked the masses and began to change peoples’ view of the world. Most notably, World War I caused a drastic change of mind to all involved. This historical event gave momentum to the modernist movement by putting realities in front of people that were vastly different from the serene and beautiful ideals described in romantic or Victorian literature. It was difficult to associate these works of art with the way the world had become; therefore, it was necessary to create a new way of expression. Modernist authors did not want to be confined by the traditional boundaries of literature, so they experimented in terms of style and content. The world changed and literature followed.
There five major themes displayed in modernist literature. The first is a representation of inner reality. Modernist authors placed a greater emphasis on the psychological experience of the individual than on the outer realities. This caused much more focus to be placed on individual interpretation of circumstances and events. Modernist authors did not write clear-cut, chronological stories as their predecessors had. Instead,
The literary movement that spanned from the late 19th century until roughly 1965 is referred to as modernism. When talking about the movement there must be an understanding of the difference between modernism and the more common word “modern”. The word modern refers to what is new, recent, and updated. Although modernism does deal with the futuristic and the new, it also covers vastly more topics and themes. Modernism reaches into rebellion, struggle and harsh realities. From there it stretches into abstraction and a break from idealistic vision. Modernism is only modern in the sense that it comes from the desire of those involved to break away from the old, traditional ways of thinking and expression and to come into their current situations with a new view of reality and art.
Modernism was spurred into being largely by a few events in history that shocked the masses and began to change peoples’ view of the world. Most notably, World War I caused a drastic change of mind to all involved. This historical event gave momentum to the modernist movement by putting realities in front of people that were vastly different from the serene and beautiful ideals described in romantic or Victorian literature. It was difficult to associate these works of art with the way the world had become; therefore, it was necessary to create a new way of expression. Modernist authors did not want to be confined by the traditional boundaries of literature, so they experimented in terms of style and content. The world changed and literature followed.
There five major themes displayed in modernist literature. The first is a representation of inner reality. Modernist authors placed a greater emphasis on the psychological experience of the individual than on the outer realities. This caused much more focus to be placed on individual interpretation of circumstances and events. Modernist authors did not write clear-cut, chronological stories as their predecessors had. Instead,
References: Eliot, T.S. The Wasteland. New York: Horace Liveright, 1922. —. The Wasteland and Other Writings. New York: Harvest Book, 1962. Levenson, Michael. The Cambridge Companion to Modernism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999. Orwell, George. Animal Farm. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1946. Simpson, Anita Grace. Yahoo Voices. 12 October 2007. 10 February 2014 .