Assignment Paper Number 110A

Name: Nirali Madhabhai Dabhi

Batch: M.A Sem. 2 (2022-2024)

Enrollment Number: 4069206420220006

Roll Number: 13

Subject code: 22403

Paper Number: 110A- History of English Literature – From 1900 to 2000 

Email Address: niralidabhi95@gmail.com

Submit to: Smt S.B. Gardi, Department of English, M.K.B.U

Modernism

What is Modernism?

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.

Many Modernists wrote in free verse and they included many countries and cultures in their poems. Some wrote using numerous points-of-view or even used a “stream-of-consciousness” style. These writing styles further demonstrate the way the scattered state of society affected the work of writes at that time.

Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman are thought to be the mother and father of the movement because they had the most direct influence on early Modernists. Some time after their deaths, the Imagist poets began to gain importance. The University of Toledo’s Canaday Center has a rich collection of poetry and critical work from that era.

Imagist poets generally wrote shorter poems and they chose their words carefully so that their work would be rich and direct. The movement started in London, where a group of poets met and discussed changes that were happening in poetry. Ezra Pound soon met these individuals, and he eventually introduced them to H.D. and Richard Aldington in 1911. In 1912, Pound submitted their work to Poetry magazine. After H.D.’s name, he signed the word "Imagiste" and that was when Imagism was publicly launched. Two months later, Poetry published an essay which discusses three points that the London group agreed upon. They felt that the following rules should apply when writing poetry. 

In the following month’s issue, Pound’s two-line poem “In a Station at the Metro” was published. In addition to the previously published works of Aldington and H.D., it exemplifies the tenets of Imagism in that it is direct, written with precise words, and has a musical tone which does not depend on a specific rhythm:

In a Station at the Metro

The apparition of these faces in the crowd;

Petals on a wet, black bough.

Over the next four years, four anthologies of Imagist poetry were published. They included work by people in that London group (Pound, F.S. Flint, H.D., and Aldington), but they also contained the works of Amy Lowell, William Carlos Williams, James Joyce, D.H. Lawrence, and Marianne Moore.

Modernism refers to a cultural and intellectual movement that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly in Europe and North America. It is characterized by a rejection of traditional forms and values, and an emphasis on experimentation, individualism, and self-expression.

In art, literature, and architecture, modernism is marked by a focus on the individual consciousness and subjective experience, a rejection of traditional techniques and forms, and a willingness to experiment with new styles and methods. This includes the use of abstraction, fragmentation, and the exploration of the inner self.

In society and politics, modernism was associated with a rejection of traditional social and political structures, and a call for greater individual freedom and social equality. This included the rise of political movements such as socialism, feminism, and civil rights.Modernism was also subject to criticism from some quarters, who saw it as a rejection of traditional values and a threat to established cultural and intellectual institutions. In addition, some critics have argued that modernism was elitist and inaccessible to the general public.

Modernism was a complex and multi-faceted movement that reflected the rapid social, cultural, and technological changes of the time. It challenged traditional values and norms, and paved the way for the artistic and cultural innovations of the 20th century.While it was often subject to criticism and controversy, it played a key role in shaping the artistic, cultural, and political landscape of the 20th century and beyond.

Characteristics of the Modernist Movement

Rejection of tradition: Modernist writers often rejected traditional forms and techniques in favor of experimentation and individual expression.

Focus on the inner self and consciousness: Modernist writers were interested in exploring the inner workings of the human mind and consciousness, often using stream-of-consciousness narration and other innovative techniques.

Disillusionment with society: Many modernist writers were disillusioned with traditional social, political, and religious structures and sought to challenge them.

Emphasis on subjectivity and individualism: Modernist writers often focused on subjective experience and the individual rather than on objective reality or universal truths.

Interest in psychology and psychoanalysis: Modernist writers were often influenced by the work of Freud and other psychologists, and used psychological themes and motifs in their writing.

Experimentation with form and style: Modernist writers often experimented with form and style, including the use of fragmented narratives, multiple narrators, and non-linear storytelling.

Relativism: Modernist writers rejected the idea of absolute truth and embraced relativism, the belief that all things are relative and dependent on one's perspective or context.

A sense of alienation: Many modernist writers depicted characters who felt alienated from society or disconnected from their own identities.

Interest in the urban experience: Modernist writers often focused on the experiences of city dwellers and the changes brought about by modern urban life.

Use of symbolism: Modernist writers often used symbolism to convey deeper meanings and explore complex ideas.

These are some of the key characteristics of modernism. However, it's important to note that modernism was a diverse and complex movement, and not all modernist writers shared the same beliefs or techniques.

Modernism Influenced by

Charles Darwin, who forwarded a theory of evolution and natural selection

Sigmund Freud, who pioneered psychoanalysis and revolutionized the way people thought about the brain

Karl Marx, who analyzed class inequalities.

Friedrich Nietzsche, who turned the world on its head when he proclaimed that “God is dead.”

Authors and their writings

There are numerous authors who are associated with the modernist movement, and their works cover a wide range of genres and styles. Here are some notable authors and their most famous works:

Elizabeth Bishop (February 8, 1911 – October 6, 1979) was an American poet and short-story writer. She was Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 1949 to 1950, the Pulitzer Prize winner for Poetry in 1956, the National Book Award winner in 1970, and the recipient of the Neustadt International Prize for Literature in 1976. She is the author of Question of Travel

Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the mid-1950s, and won the Nobel Prize in Literaturein 1954. He is the author of the Old Man and the Sea

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940), known professionally as F. Scott Fitzgerald, was an American novelist and short story writer, whose works illustrate the Jazz Age. While he achieved limited success in his lifetime, he is now widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the “Lost Generation” of the 1920s. He finished four novels: This Side of Paradise, The Beautiful and Damned, The Great Gatsby, and Tender Is the Night. A fifth, unfinished novel, The Last Tycoon, was published posthumously. Fitzgerald also authored 4 collections of short stories, as well as 164 short stories in magazines during his lifetime.

Virginia Woolf - "Mrs. Dalloway," "To the Lighthouse," "The Waves"

James Joyce - "Ulysses," "Dubliners," "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man"

T.S. Eliot - "The Waste Land," "Four Quartets," "Prufrock and Other Observations"

Franz Kafka - "The Trial," "The Metamorphosis," "The Castle"

Samuel Beckett - "Waiting for Godot," "Endgame," "Molloy"

William Faulkner - "The Sound and the Fury," "As I Lay Dying," "Absalom, Absalom!"

Marcel Proust - "In Search of Lost Time," "Swann's Way," "Within a Budding Grove"

Gertrude Stein - "The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas," "Three Lives," "Tender Buttons"

F. Scott Fitzgerald - "The Great Gatsby," "Tender Is the Night," "This Side of Paradise"

Ezra Pound - "The Cantos," "Hugh Selwyn Mauberley," "Lustra"

These authors and their works are just a small selection of the many writers who contributed to the modernist movement.

Modernism in Art

Beginning in the late 1900s, artists played with new materials and techniques to create works they believed better portrayed modern societies and daily life. From early modernism in art came Impressionism, followed by Expressionism, and later Fauvism, Cubism, and abstract art. Below are brief definitions of each influential Modernist movement: 

Impressionism: a 19th-century movement characterized by small, thin brush strokes, open composition, and emphasis on the accurate depiction of light, ordinary subjects, and perceived movement in time and space. Key influencers include French artists Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Édouard Manet, and Paul Cézanne.

Expressionism: an early 20th-century movement that initially emerged in poetry and painting and originated in Germany. Expressionists present the world solely from a subjective perspective, portraying distortions meant to evoke meaning or emotional experience instead of physical reality. Notable Expressionists include El Greco, Wassily Kandinsky, and Edvard Munch.

Fauvism: the artistic style of les Fauvres, French for “the wild beasts,” which was a 20th-century group of modern artists who painted with strong colors and strayed away from the more realistic values of Impressionists. André Derain and Henri Matisse became known as the leaders of the Fauvist movement, which lasted from around 1904 to 1910.

Cubism: an avant-garde movement that began in Europe in the early 20th century. It is considered the most influential art movement of the 20th century, and revolutionized painting and sculpture. Started by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, it involved the representation of three-dimensional forms (origins of the movement can be seen in Paul Cézanne’s later works). Cubists like Picasso became famous for depicting broken up and reassembled objects, in abstract form with multiple viewpoints.

Today, the terms modernism and modern art describe the succession of art movements including those mentioned above. Following Fauvism and Cubism, abstract art – art that incorporates complete, partial, or slight abstraction, or a departure from realism in representation – extended into other movements of the mid-20th century.

By the 1960s, abstract art was widespread, and modernist ideas across art, literature, and design were considered dominant. 

Modernism in Literature

The modernist movement in literature, or literary modernism, involved experimentations among writers with new forms and expressions. Starting with Ezra Pound’s “Make it new,” the movement in literature covers technological advances, changes in culture and society, and the transition into the 20th century.

Early Modernist writers, like their artist counterparts, stemmed away from traditional values and abandoned their duty of representing mainstream culture and ideas to the public. Instead, they developed the concept of the unreliable narrator. Writers also addressed discoveries introduced by Charles Darwin, Sigmund Freud, Albert Einstein, and others. Thus, other techniques in literature emerged like stream-of-consciousness, multiple points-of-view, and interior monologue.

Modernism in literature began with works like Joseph Conrad‘s 1899 novella Heart of Darkness, and later Sherwood Anderson’s 1919 short story Winesburg, Ohio, which became known for plain-spoken words and characters’ psychological insight. Another notable modernist writer is James Joyce, famous for his 1922 novel Ulysses which uniquely described events over a 24-hour period in his protagonist’s life. This piece of literature came to define the Modernist approach to fiction.

Other instrumental works of the period include T.S. Eliot’s 1922 poem The Waste Land, fragmented and lacking a central narrative, and Gertrude Stein’s 1914 book Tender Buttons, which was also fragmented and incorporated multiple perspectives. It has thus been compared to her good friend Pablo Picasso’s Cubist paintings.

While moving towards the new, modernist writers and musicians made reference to past works by employing techniques like reprise, rewriting, revision, and parody. 

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