There are three elements of modernist poems. They include the individuals, experimentation and anti-realism. The contents of this paper will focus on these three elements. Traditional writers were more stereotyped, employing ceaseless experimentation and rejected the old forms of writing. One of the facts about modern poems is their ability to represent the writer’s inner nature by themselves, rather than mirror the nature.
The poet’s vision in the modernist age was extremely beneficial despite secluding him from the scientific concerns of the day or the society. It was essential for the poets to remain in the aristocratic world of Avant garden, keen observers who were detached and avoided the basic formulations that were essential.
Post structuralist theories appeared in various embodiments despite sharing a common preoccupation with language. The contents we read and write do not mediate this fact, but they are made up of those actions in totality.
Therefore, analysts observe the world through the poems and wonder if what is presented in them is adequate, true, or appropriate. Generally, people put much emphasis on the devices employed in the text provided.
From the modernist theories, we are urged to evaluate the aesthetic unity of the poem with little or no emphasis on the irrelevancies of the author’s past conventions, social context and purpose. Such cooperation is highly discounted by the poststructuralist’s criticisms, encouraging readers to follow the loser’s view of the art.
The main reason for such a proposal is that the losers’ contend accords with realities that appear in everyday life of the poet. It exhibits how language suppresses conflicting views from the politically or socially disadvantaged readers.
Advertising and graphical elements influence the rise for the experimental aspect of the poetry. This fact drives the readers desire to consider that modernism lacks precise boundaries. An Anglo-American literature observes that the period runs from the 1890’s to 1920’s, with Pound, Joyce Eliot and Witham Lewis being the key participants (David 13).
The term was applied retrospectively, among the British scholars who mostly did not share common aims and objectives. The theme of 19th Century is passed over to the 20th Century, hence the need to regard modernism as a wide plexus of issues or concerns which are represented variably in a hundred and twenty years of British writing.
It is worth noting that modernism has become a useful term. This is because writing poems in a society that is venerated by literary critics and academia is quite challenging. The universities produce focused writers who are guided by modernism’s charts. Therefore, the various assumptions need to be properly understood in order to appreciate contemporary work of any type.
There is increased suspicion that contemporary writing has lost its way in the field of academia (Harry 35). Therefore, if we understand Modernism better, we can see where the alternatives lie.
The most striking element of the three is experimentation. Experimentation is defined as a ‘change that arises for the sake of change’. It is considered to be at the cutting edge of thoughts and technique in a continuous manner (Harry 36). “Make it new”- These are the words used by Pound; they were well understood in the society that embraced drastic change in the academic and technological fields (Michael 65).
The view was based on the shattered dreams and beliefs during the First World War. The process was peaceful, earning international cooperation and riding high on the superiority of the European civilizations. High-minded and heroic vocabulary was outlawed as words like “manly, gallant, vanquish fate” among others were used only in jocular or ironic way (Michael 28).
Should art reflect incessant change? This is a question that most analysts continue to argue on. They are left to wonder if art should reflect the change in society. They try to make stronger arguments on the basis of inner anchor of belief, stability and assumptions that the entire society shares, beyond its common landmarks.
The most notable and understood arguments are the debilitating and disoriented impacts of the stress involved in both humans and animals. Therefore, it can be noted that the media hype and advertising in the United Kingdom of contemporary life are quite geared towards fulfilling the need for sharing experience.
Poetry in Britain overlooked one crucial distinction in its desire to retain intellectual ascendancy. The aims of the scientific process are to test, to improve and to build a concept. It does not tear it down wantonly. Extensive modification of established conceptions is difficult.
However, starting from scratch is unthinkable in the view of a modernist poet. There is too much information to know and master as the scientifically oriented society insists on certain procedures and apprenticeships.
Poetry does not matter at its time. Different societies may present different poems at the same time. The Shakespearian work of art had its own value and taste that has been felt throughout the centuries. This explains the reason why the poems from the 19th century had an immense impact on the 20th Century art. There are stated assumptions on what is necessary, and how it is evaluated.
Modernism in the British poetry evolved through different stages. It took allusiveness by employing symbolism and an interest in the mental states; a rare field at the period. The art borrowed an urban setting from realism with an urge to break taboos.
Later, romanticism took center stage to provide a poets-centered view with a retreat into hallucinations and irrationalism. Pound espoused right-wing views that were doctrinaire, asserting that even the founding fathers did not remain long as modernists.
Works Cited
Michael, Martin K. The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism Cambridge: Harvard, 1994. Print.
Harry L. What Was Modernism? In Refractions: Essays in Comparative Literature Nairobi: EAPL, 1966. Print.
David L. Language of Fiction: Essays in Criticism and Verbal Analysis of the English Novel Honk Kong: Luing, 1966. Print.