Problematically, modernity must annihilate itself the very moment it is actualized, as the moment it emerges, it becomes a part of the past. They were champions of the individual and celebrated the strength of soul that each individual possessed. Modernity must, in order to emerge, annihilate the past. The Nature of Modernism in American Literature and Film During the 19th and 20th century, new industries and a growing population bursted in the western world. Modernism was an important era in literature that showcased seminal work and changed the way literature was viewed by people. Related to the theme of destruction is the theme of fragmentation. We're supposed to be talking about literature here, but Modernism tends to blur the lines between media. American authors have great respect for the value and importance of the individual. Since a belief system was shaken, they turned inside to find answers. Literary modernism, or modernist literature, originated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, mainly in Europe and North America, and is characterized by a self-conscious break with traditional ways of writing, in both poetry and prose fiction writing.Modernism Modernists experimented with literary form and expression, as exemplified by Ezra Pound's maxim to "Make it new." Modernist literature is also marked by themes of loss and exile. These voyages and discoveries of new countries, territories and continents of which there was no knowledge or certainty of their existence, represented an important change in diverse areas as the commerce, the culture, the religion, etc. Modernist literature is heralded for having changed the form and content of literature and exploring new avenues in style and semantics. So postmodernism can only be understood in relation to Modernism. Modernist writers broke free of old forms and techniques. Literary modernists celebrated the collapse of conventional forms. Other Characteristics of Modern Literature: 1-In contrast to the Romantic world view, the Modernist writers care little for nature. Modernist writers in general rebelled against clear-cut storytelling and formulaic verse from the 19th century. When you talk about Modernism in literature, you generally talk about the literary movement that started as an expression of the similarly-named movement in art. Literature What does impertinent mean (from The American)? They all developed with core ideas like individualism, mistrust of established traditions, and a disbelief in what was believed to be absolute truth. Aldous Huxley with his Brave New World spoke about the dangers that city life and modern world can bring upon us as a society. Eliot's “The Waste Land,” which depicts a modern waste land of crumbled cities. 2 No. Characteristics of Modern Poetry • Stylistic experimentation and disrupted syntax • Stream of Consciousness (a term coined by American psychologist William James to describe the natural flow of a person’s thoughts) • Theme of alienation: characters or speakers feel disconnected from people and/or society/the world • Focus on images Formal perfection 4. 2. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Modernism was also mainly represented by orientation towards fragmentation, free verse, contradictory allusions and multiple points of view different from the Victorian and Romantic writing. One of the most salient features of modernist poetry is Imagism. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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