Literary movements in modernism

Artistic and literary movements.

1. Realism: The theory of realism emphasizes on objectivity and being indifferent, along with
unemotional social criticism. By critically referring to minute details and being concerned with petty,
insignificant issues. Therefore, through use of literature, realism refers to the attempt of a writer to portray
human actions and environment precisely as it appears in everyday life. In reaction to romanticism, realists
claimed that precise documentation, sociological approach and vernacular diction were the basis of literal
realism. The subject matter was sourced from everyday life, and in this case, the people in lower-class life were
considered.
2. Symbolism:
Symbolism is everywhere; symbolism exists whenever something is meant to represent something
else. Symbolism is a figure of speech that is used when an author wants to create a certain mood or
emotion in a work of literature. It is the use of an object, person, situation or word to represent something
else, like an idea, in literature. Symbols can tell us about characters, plots, ideas and themes.
3. Imagism:
a poetic movement in England and America between 1912 and 1917, initiated chiefly by Ezra
Pound, advocating the use of ordinary speech and the precise presentation of images.

The Rules of Imagism

Ezra Pound, one of the founders of Imagism, said that there were three tenets, or rules, to writing Imagist
poetry.

1. Direct treatment of the subject. That is, the poem should deal directly with what's being talked
about, not try to use fancy words and phrases to talk about it.
2. Use no word that does not contribute to the presentation. Use as few words as possible.
3. Compose in the rhythm of the musical phrase, not in the rhythm of the metronome. In other
words, create new rhythms instead of relying on the old, boring ones.

4. Expressionism:
In expressionism the artist tries to present an emotional experience in its most compelling form. The artist
is not concerned with reality as it appears but with its inner nature and with the emotions aroused by the
subject. To achieve these ends, the subject is frequently caricatured, exaggerated, distorted, or otherwise
altered in order to stress the emotional experience in its most intense and concentrated form.
It can be said, however, that its central feature is a revolt against the artistic and literary tradition of
realism, both in subject matter and in style.
Characteristics of modernist literature
1. Characteristics of Modernist Literature www.writeawriting.com
2. 11. 1. Decline of Character and Hero • Psychological theories of Sigmund Freud created an
impact on modernist writers • Writers found that the traditional method of portraying
characters was erroneous • Death of both hero and villain www.writeawriting.com
3. 12. 2. Decay of Plot • Modern story does not follow a chronological order • Modern stories do
not have a beginning or end • Modernist literature requires an active reader
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 4. 13. 3. Stress on Individual • Individual is more important for modernist writers than society •
In a modern story, there are no universally accepted values of social conduct
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5. 14. 4. Realism • Modern stories are realistic • For writers, there is no such thing as absolute
truth; everything is relative. • Modernist literature is a portrayal of life as it is.
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Individualism

In Modernist literature, the individual is more interesting than society. Specifically, modernist writers
were fascinated with how the individual adapted to the changing world. In some cases, the individual
triumphed over obstacles. For the most part, Modernist literature featured characters who just kept
their heads above water. Writers presented the world or society as a challenge to the integrity of their
characters. Ernest Hemingway is especially remembered for vivid characters who accepted their
circumstances at face value and persevered.

Experimentation

Modernist writers broke free of old forms and techniques. Poets abandoned traditional rhyme
schemes and wrote in free verse. Novelists defied all expectations. Writers mixed images from the
past with modern languages and themes, creating a collage of styles. The inner workings of
consciousness were a common subject for modernists. This preoccupation led to a form of narration
called stream of consciousness, where the point of view of the novel meanders in a pattern resembling
human thought. Authors James Joyce and Virginia Woolf, along with poets T.S. Eliot and Ezra
Pound, are well known for their experimental Modernist works.

Absurdity

The bloodshed of two World Wars profoundly affected writers of the period. Several great English
poets died or were wounded in WWI. At the same time, global capitalism was reorganizing society at
every level. For many writers, the world was becoming a more absurd place every day. The
mysteriousness of life was being lost in the rush of daily life. The senseless violence of WWII was
yet more evidence that humanity had lost its way. Modernist authors depicted this absurdity in their
works. Franz Kafka's "The Metamorphosis," in which a traveling salesman is transformed into an
insect-like creature, is an example of modern absurdism.

Formalism

Writers of the Modernist period saw literature more as a craft than a flowering of creativity. They
believed that poems and novels were constructed from smaller parts instead of the organic, internal
process that earlier generations had described. The idea of literature as craft fed the Modernists' desire
for creativity and originality. Modernist poetry often includes foreign languages, dense vocabulary
and invented words. The poet E.E. Cummings abandoned all structure and spread his words all across
the page.