The texts I read can be classified as modernist due to their focus on the individual’s experiences and struggles with the world around them. Yeats’ poems strongly focus on the individual’s inner thoughts and emotions and their attempts to make sense of the world. The Stranger by Camus also focuses on the individual’s experiences, exploring the protagonist’s experiences of alienation and existential angst. Both texts also explore the idea of a looming, chaotic future and the individual’s attempts to make sense of it.
The texts we read reflect the tumultuous times of the twentieth century in many ways. The Stranger by Camus, for example, was written while Camus was in the French Resistance and fighting against the Nazis and could be seen as a response to Camus’ experience in the war. The novel’s protagonist is an outsider who struggles to make sense of a world filled with chaos and violence, which reflects the times. Yeats’ poems also reflect the times, exploring the idea of a chaotic and uncertain future and the individual’s attempts to make sense of it. The poems also explore themes such as death, violence, and despair, reflecting the twentieth century’s turbulent times.
The Modernist period can offer us lessons that are relevant to our present. For instance, the Second Coming by W. B. Yeats speaks to the uncertainty and chaos of the modern world and how it is often difficult to make sense of it. Leda and the Swan is a poem about how the unexpected can be a powerful force in our lives. The Stranger by Albert Camus speaks to alienation and the importance of understanding one’s own identity. Among Schoolchildren highlights the importance of education and learning in the modern world. All of these texts offer insights into the complexities and challenges that we face in our current era and can help us think critically about our lives and the world around us.
Yeats and Camus offer some solace in their writings. Yeats’s works explore themes of mortality and death, and his poem “The Second Coming” speaks to the chaos of the world and the need to find a way to make sense of it. “Leda and the Swan” is a poem about the power of love to bring beauty and peace to a chaotic world. In “Among Schoolchildren,” Yeats reflects on the inevitability of aging and the importance of finding joy in the present moment. Camus’s The Stranger is a novel about an individual’s journey of self-discovery and his struggle to make sense of the absurd world around him. The novel speaks to the struggles of life and the need to accept and embrace the uncertainty of life. The novel also encourages readers to consider their own lives and the meaning of their actions.
The poem “Leda and the Swan” by W.B. Yeats affected me personally. The poem explores the idea of accepting the chaotic nature of the world and the importance of standing up for oneself. I found this poem particularly relevant to my life, as I have often struggled to make sense of the world and have often felt overwhelmed by the chaos and violence of it. The poem serves as a reminder that it is essential to accept the world’s turmoil and stand up for oneself and one’s beliefs despite the darkness and despair that may seem to surround us.
In this reflection journal, I explored my experience encountering the Modern era and its literature. I identified the elements of modernism in the texts I read and discussed how they reflect the tumultuous times of the twentieth century. I also examined how these texts can offer us insight and solace in our present, and I discussed how one of the texts affected me personally. Through this reflection, I gained a deeper understanding of the Modern era and its literature and how it can be relevant to my life.