Features of the Modern age and the modern

poetry.
1900 to 1945
Modernism is a comprehensive movement which began in the closing years of the 19th century and has had a
wide influence internationally during much of the 20th century. Features of the age are:

• The Impact of the two world wars

• After the First World War depression, poverty and unemployment increased. The League of Nations was set up to
establish world peace. In spite of this attempt the Second World War broke out. Europe suffered great devastation after
both the wars. Great Depression - Tension among nations Aftermath - United Nations - European Market - European
economy had collapsed - Casualties and war crimes - Concentration camps, slave labour, and genocide. Advances in
technology and warfare

• Marked by a strong and intentional break with tradition. This break includes a strong reaction against established
religious, political, and social values. No connection with history or institutions. Their experience is that of alienation,
loss, and despair.

• Age of Anxiety and Interrogation. In this century the scientific revolution shook man's faith in the authority of religion
and church. The social, moral, political and economic scenario was changing fast.
• People were not ready to accept anything without testing it on reason. Modern industrial and technical progress gave
birth to the spirit of competition. It increased frustration, anxiety and cynicism.

• Art's for Life's Sake: In the modern age the doctrine of art for art's sake was rejected. The doctrine of art for life's
sake was established. It unveils the role of realism that focuses on the issues of real life.

• Growing interest in the poor and the working classes: The beginning of the 20‘th century marked the end of the
supremacy of the middle classes. The poor posed a great challenge to the social conscience. Thus this age shows the
growing interest of people in the poor and the working classes.

• Impact of socio-economic conditions: The economic and social changes influenced the 20th century. The rapid
industrial development changed social and economic scenario. There was complete break up of rural way of life. The
urbanization changed the pattern of social relationship.
• Money became a key factor in all-human relationship. Economists raised their voice against poverty.
Marxism and socialism came into existence and they influenced the authors of the period.

• Psychology and Literature: In the modern age new psychological researches influenced literature.
Freudian theory became very popular. Many writers were influenced by new researches in
psychology.

• Impact of cinema and radio: Modern age showed the impact of cinema and radio. Actually, they
boosted the connection of people with literature. Due to the invention of a locomotive, the telegraph,
and inexpensive intercommunication, an intellectual revolution resulted. So, this makes literature a
part of human life.
• Colonialism: was an important feature of the Modernism. It was on its peak in 1914. Europeans
controlled 84% of the globe to seek dominance over other people.

• Popular Literary Movements in the Modern Age:

• Imagism: Imagism was a movement in early 20th-century American poetry that favored precision
of imagery and clear, sharp language. The Imagists rejected the sentiment and informality of much
Romantic and Victorian poetry. They wrote short poems that used ordinary language and free
verse to create sharp, exact, concentrated pictures.
• Symbolism: Symbolism in France began as a reaction against Realism, movements which attempted
to objectively capture reality. The practice of representing things by means of symbols or of attributing
symbolic meaning to objects, events or relationships. During the 20th century the use of symbolism
became a major force in British literature. T. S. Eliot adapted it in the development of his individual
style and praised it in his criticism.

• IMPRESSIONISM: The term ‘Impressionism’ comes from the school of mid- nineteenth century
French painting. The impressionists made the act of perception the key for the understanding of
structure of reality. They developed a technique by which objects were not seen as solids but as
fragments of color which the spectator’s eye unified. It is representation of reality through impressions.
• SURREALISM: A 20th century aesthetic, artistic and cultural movement developed in France
that attempts to express the workings of sub-conscious mind. They focused upon using all forms
of art as a means to express the real functioning of human mind.

• EXISTENTIALISM: It is a concept that became popular during the Second World War in
France. Existentialists believe that life is very difficult and that it doesn't have an "objective" or
universally known value, but that the individual must create value by affirming it and living it, not
by talking about it. It deals with the recurring problem of finding meaning within existence. The
individual must find or create meaning for his or herself.
• FUTURISM: In the 1920's and 1930's the term Futurism was loosely used to describe a wide variety of
aggressively modern styles in art and literature. The futurists love speed, noise, machines, pollution and
cities as they embraced the exciting new world that was then upon them. Futurist paintings were made to
glorify life .Futurists developed to glorify urban life as well as machinery and industrialization.

• There is no absolute truth and all is relative.

• Modernists break away with traditional forms and conventional modes of forms and produced bold and
highly experimental works. They often used random impressions and literary, historical, philosophical or
religious allusions with which readers were supposed to make connection on their own.
Features of Modern Poetry:

• Modern poetry is written in simple language, the language of every day speech.
• The poet is alienated from the reader as a result of the alienation of the modern man.
• The modern poem is sometimes fragmented like a series of broken images, and a gain like "The Waste
Land".
• Modern poetry is highly intellectual; it is written from the mind of the poet and it addresses the mind of the
reader, like the poems of T. S. Eliot.
• It is interested in the ugly side of life and in taboo subjects like drug addiction, crime, prostitution and
some other subjects.
• Modern poetry is pessimistic as a result of the bad condition of man in many parts of the world, such
as most of the poems of Thomas Hardy.
• Modern poetry is suggestive; the poem may suggest different meanings to different readers.
• Modern poetry is cosmopolitan. It appeals to man everywhere and at every time because it deals with the
problems of man or humanity.
• Experimentation is on of the important characteristic feature of modern poetry. Poets try to break new
grounds, i.e to find new forms, new language and new methods of expression.
• It is irregular, written without metre and rhyme scheme and sometimes written in prose like
the prose poem.
• Interest in politics and the political problems of the age.
• .Interest in the psychology and in the subconscious. Many poets wrote unconsciously under
the effect of wine or drugs.
• Modern poetry is mostly written in free verse and prose (the prose poem).
• Most of the modern poetry is ambiguous for many reasons.
• Interest in myth and especially Greek myth.
• Interest in the problems of the average man and the lower classes of society.
Features of the Modern Poetry:

• Different Perspectives
• Inner psychology of the mind
• Emphasis on the experimental
• Juxtaposition
• Discontinues narrative
• Intersexuality
• Classical allusions
• Borrowing from culture and other language
• No regular rhyming scheme
Leading thinkers:
• Philosopher Nietzsche on the Will of Power
• Philosopher Bergson on the Concept of Time
Psychologist William James on Emotions and Inner Time
• Psychologist Freud on the Unconscious(The Interpretation of Dreams,
1900)
• Psychologist Jung on Collective Unconscious
• Linguist De Saussure on Language
• Anthropologist Frazer on Primitive Cultures