KTU- Department of English Language and Literature Gül Nihan GÜRSOY
20. CENTURY MODERNISM
MODERNIST ELEMENTS
KTU- Department of English Language and Literature Gül Nihan GÜRSOY
WHAT IS MODERNISM?
It is a disengagement
from ordinary conventions
and seeking new
perspectives, forms and
styles in literature.
KTU- Department of English Language and Literature Gül Nihan GÜRSOY
MAJOR THEMES
Alienation from society, loneliness and
violence
Loss and despair; painful memories of past
Inevitable change
Race relations; sense of place; local skin color
Rejection of history
Fear of death
Impossibility to express love
KTU- Department of English Language and Literature Gül Nihan GÜRSOY
MAJOR FEATURES
Focus on form rather than meaning
Corrupting old shapes
Disengagement from social principals
and cultural values
Understanding truths; rejecting
mythical past
KTU- Department of English Language and Literature Gül Nihan GÜRSOY
MAJOR FEATURES
Interest in early and non-western cultures
Reflecting complexity of modern urban life
Life is fragmented
Subject is usually what the purpose of
literature and poetry is
Ironic and emotionless
KTU- Department of English Language and Literature Gül Nihan GÜRSOY
MAJOR FEATURES
Anti romantic; not naturalist but interested
in art
Poem need not to have a meaning
Poet is responsible for life and spirit
Point of view is remote from subject
Allusions to myth, the Bible, foreign
languages and street life
KTU- Department of English Language and Literature Gül Nihan GÜRSOY
MAJOR FEATURES
Poems resemble a puzzle or
labyrinth; so meaning must be
searched by reader
Not using unnecessary words
Words are arranged entertainingly
Very footnoted.
KTU- Department of English Language and Literature Gül Nihan GÜRSOY
• http://authspot.com/poetry/the-three-most-important-features-of-modern-poetry/
• http://www.online-literature.com/periods/modernism.php
• http://www.antiessays.com/free-essays/271937.html