Early 20 th century literature MODERNISM LITERATURE IS

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Early 20 th century literature MODERNISM

Early 20 th century literature MODERNISM

“LITERATURE IS NEWS THAT STAYS NEWS. ”

“LITERATURE IS NEWS THAT STAYS NEWS. ”

“THERE IS NO REASON WHY THE SAME MAN SHOULD LIKE THE SAME BOOKS AT

“THERE IS NO REASON WHY THE SAME MAN SHOULD LIKE THE SAME BOOKS AT EIGHTEEN AND AT FORTYEIGHT”

“REAL EDUCATION MUST ULTIMATELY BE LIMITED TO MEN WHO INSIST ON KNOWING. THE REST

“REAL EDUCATION MUST ULTIMATELY BE LIMITED TO MEN WHO INSIST ON KNOWING. THE REST IS MERE SHEEP HERDING. ”

“WITH ONE DAY'S READING A MAN MAY HAVE THE KEY IN HIS HANDS. ”

“WITH ONE DAY'S READING A MAN MAY HAVE THE KEY IN HIS HANDS. ”

Ezra Pound • Of all the major literary figures in the twentieth century, Ezra

Ezra Pound • Of all the major literary figures in the twentieth century, Ezra Pound has been one of the most controversial • He has also been one of modern poetry's most important contributors. • In an introduction to the Literary Essays of Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot declared that Pound "is more responsible for the twentiethcentury revolution in poetry than is any other individual. " • "Ezra Pound is the poet who, a thousand times more than any other man, has made modern poetry possible in English. “ • Another important facet of Pound's literary activity was his tireless promotion of other writers and artists. “The essential thing about a poet is that he build us his world. "

World War I �Shook England to the core Social values were shaken along with

World War I �Shook England to the core Social values were shaken along with artistic convention War Poets: Sassoon, Owen, Brooke, and Rosenburg Led to … Modernism: multinational cultural movement that begin in the late 19 th century and peaked on the eve of WWI Growing out of philosophical, scientific, political and ideological shifts that followed the Industrial Revolution and lead up to the aftermath of WWI

modernism �Reflected the tumult of this world in various ways �Rebelled against the artistic

modernism �Reflected the tumult of this world in various ways �Rebelled against the artistic past �Deliberately chose not to reproduce reality or copy from nature…photographs could do this �Distorted natural forms and rejected single perspectives �Renewed interest in human past such as myth and ancient cultures for inspirations Yeats, Joyce, Eliot & Faulkner used myth as subject matter and structure

Traits of literary modernism �Human character changed inspired by the documentation of Freud and

Traits of literary modernism �Human character changed inspired by the documentation of Freud and the power of the unconscious and of human sexuality Human personality (being irrational and incomprehensible) was more complex than previously imagined �Therefore, the idea from the 19 th century that character was defined by means of historical and social context was no longer adequate (existentialism) �Writers searched for subtler techniques to capture the irrational, unpredictable and darker side of human nature

Characterization technique �Stream of consciousness: a characters thoughts are reproduced as they presumably occur,

Characterization technique �Stream of consciousness: a characters thoughts are reproduced as they presumably occur, not in full sentences or in any logical sequence but according to an associate process that is based on the connections in the characters mind Masters of technique: � Woolf, Joyce, Faulkner �Modernism abandoned one of the most fundamental but also problematic types of character --- the hero

20 th century’s play on the hero �The typical protagonist Having lost faith in:

20 th century’s play on the hero �The typical protagonist Having lost faith in: � Society, religion, the surrounding environment will cause the lose to claim heroic action �Heroes then faced a terrifying, and possibly meaningless world, leaving characters in fear to act having concluded that action itself is pointless OR that they simply cannot act in a universe that entrapped them �Modern heroism=heroic or successful action is not only unattainable but undesirable

Plot and chronology � Changed the conventional way of telling a story from beginning

Plot and chronology � Changed the conventional way of telling a story from beginning to end � Rejected traditional notions of plot and time 19 th century = past, present and future Influenced by philosopher Henri Bergson who reasoned that time is not a series of logically sequential or separate stages but rather a continuum that is uninterrupted � 20 th century = past, present, future is simultaneously present and indistinguishable from each other T. S. Eliot: Time present and time past Are both present in time future And time future contained in time past -Four Quartes (1943)

Plot and chronology �Always starting at the beginning became irrelevant and even misleading because

Plot and chronology �Always starting at the beginning became irrelevant and even misleading because in a sense there was no real beginning �Dislocated normal narrative chronology through: flashbacks, repetitions, or even by omitting transitions entirely �They believed that this would truly reflect reality than a narrative structure based on the artificial Aristotelian idea of beginning, middle, and end �Challenged the practice of focusing on major events in a characters life because by this accord even the most trivial or mundane could possess importance and is capable of revealing much more about a person or their true nature Joyce, Woolf, D. H. Lawrence, Faulkner, Fitzgerald, Hemingway and Kafka were the successes of this literary form

Author + reader �New techniques created new roles for both writer and reader �The

Author + reader �New techniques created new roles for both writer and reader �The split was caused by the experimental nature of the author and the society’s inability to adjust to the radically new style �Readers confronted with the new techniques to understand not only in what order the events actually occurred by also why the author chose this particular arrangement of words Now part of the act of reading was to discover that significance �Literature was blurring the line between art and life with the deeper examination of the human internal world, unconscious self and fragmented thoughts that we carry within ourselves

Objectives CONCEPT: Form and Structure Lesson Essential Questions: 1. How does form and structure

Objectives CONCEPT: Form and Structure Lesson Essential Questions: 1. How does form and structure influence the meaning of the poem? 1. How can an understanding of form and structure aid the reader in interpreting a poem’s meaning? CONCEPT: Diction/Word Choice Lesson Essential Questions: 1. Why is word choice so important to poetry? 1. How can word choice affect the tone, mood, meaning of a poem? CONCEPT: Historical Context Lesson Essential Questions: 1. How does understanding the twentieth century facilitate the understanding of the poem? 2. How do contemporary works enhance a reader’s understanding of the primary text? CONCEPT: Poetic Analysis Lesson Essential Questions: 1. What is the best method for interpretation of a poem resulting in a well-written poetic analysis? 1. How do historical and cultural influences play a role in understanding a poem?

Movements of poetry �Elizabethan and Shakespearean (late 16 th and early 17 th century)

Movements of poetry �Elizabethan and Shakespearean (late 16 th and early 17 th century) Form: � Ballad � Sonnet � Lyrical and narrative Content/Subject: religious �Metaphysical (late 17 th century into 18 th century) Form: � Lyric Content/Subject: investigating nature, love, philosophy (define and compare) �Romanticism (18 th and 19 th century) Form: � Started free verse Content/Subject: nature as metaphor, more personal, passion (nature is the heart of our lives)

Famous 20 th century Poets W. B. Yeats T. S. Eliot Robert Lee Frost

Famous 20 th century Poets W. B. Yeats T. S. Eliot Robert Lee Frost Langston Hughes D. H. Lawrence Rudyard Kipling e. e. cummings Gerard Manley Hopkins Amy Lowell Hart Crane E. A. Robinson Gertrude Stein

poetry �Gone were the logical narratives, long fluid verse paragraphs that read like prose

poetry �Gone were the logical narratives, long fluid verse paragraphs that read like prose �New: General fragmentation in content and style Abrupt changes in subject matter and tone Allusions to unfamiliar authors and works Rhymes that seemed to have no relationship to their poetic context Altering time schemes, creating complex and alienated characters and fragmented syntax Reflecting on the uncertainty and frightening nature of modern life Emphasis on style Content/Subject: utopian values, spiritual exploration, revolt against a culture/philosophy

Reading and analyzing poetry �From what within the poet or the poet’s life did

Reading and analyzing poetry �From what within the poet or the poet’s life did the poem originate? �A good poem arises from the union of four places, not unlike four rivers joining together: 1. 2. 3. 4. Soul Mind Heart Experience and Observation

soul �When a poem arises, it feels like the poet’s soul is coming to

soul �When a poem arises, it feels like the poet’s soul is coming to life �The point of origin lies at the furthest depths of the poet, often calling into play inherited memories, divine or universal inspiration, and insights or truths that should "magically" resonate with the reader.

mind �The intellect plays a vital part in the creation of a poem, bringing

mind �The intellect plays a vital part in the creation of a poem, bringing perspective, structure, and word choice to the experience conveyed on each line. �Worldviews, social and cultural attitudes, depth of thought, comparison and contrast, and conclusions all inform the poet as he or she writes.

heart �Nothing moves a poem like expressed emotion. �The vast majority of poems spring

heart �Nothing moves a poem like expressed emotion. �The vast majority of poems spring from seven emotions: anger, joy, sadness, fear, courage, lust, and excitement. �Word choice, pace, punctuation (or lack thereof), and meter convey the poet’s state of emotion. �If transferred purely to the poem, they will likely provoke the same feeling in the reader.

Experience and observation �A poem is a single experience or observation, extracted by the

Experience and observation �A poem is a single experience or observation, extracted by the poet’s life experience and refined by his or her intellect and choice of words. �Every poem conveys an experience or observation of some kind. If you are familiar with this experience or have researched it, you are better able to interpret the poem.

Tools for reading poetry A few simple tools can help to transform any poetry

Tools for reading poetry A few simple tools can help to transform any poetry reading experience from a bout with incomprehension to an enjoyable study on the way words, lives, emotions, souls, and experiences move through the eyes, minds, and hearts of the women and men who wrote these works. 1. Muse: Discovering the poet’s inspiration can help you understand his or her work. Read more about the source of the poet’s inspiration. If you can discover what’s in the poet’s soul, heart, and mind, you can unearth his or her motivation for putting pen to paper.

Tools for reading poetry 2. Try reading each line aloud. See if you can

Tools for reading poetry 2. Try reading each line aloud. See if you can feel the energy and emotion as each word forms upon and releases from your lips. Pause accordingly at each punctuation mark. Take another breath. Sense the musical rhythm. Imagine the poet reading the work through your voice. 3. Study the movement. What is the meter? How are punctuation marks used – if they’re used at all? How do syllables and meter work together? This movement defines the inner experience of the poem.

Tools for reading poetry 4. Consider a poet’s word choices. Picture the nouns and

Tools for reading poetry 4. Consider a poet’s word choices. Picture the nouns and try to envision yourself in that place or holding that thing. Feel the verbs and look at how they move the poem forward. Interpret how and why the poet matched nouns and verbs in such a specific way.

Tools for reading poetry 5. Study the structure. Chances are, there’s a specific reason

Tools for reading poetry 5. Study the structure. Chances are, there’s a specific reason why a poet chooses a particular form to write a particular poem. If you can learn more about the form, it may be easier to interpret a poem written in that form. Then ask, Why did the poet choose that form? How does that form bring out the subject or mood of the poem? For example, a poem written in free verse conveys a more open relationship between a poet’s voice and the experience than a poem written in tightly rhyming quatrains.

Tools for reading poetry 6. Explore additional layers. Poems are the world’s greatest extended

Tools for reading poetry 6. Explore additional layers. Poems are the world’s greatest extended metaphors. For countless centuries, poets were vital information links to citizens in repressed societies. Since poems draw from the souls of their authors, they usually transmit the experience at different physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual levels, creating an exciting atmosphere of discovery for the reader. When scanning a line of poetry, see how it feels. � Does the line relate to your core truths and beliefs? If you feel happier or sadder – or any other emotion – after you’ve read it, you’re probably uncovering the poem’s deeper layers. Understanding the poet’s cultural context can help you understand his or her poem.

Tools for reading poetry 7. Read from inside and outside the poet’s cultural context.

Tools for reading poetry 7. Read from inside and outside the poet’s cultural context. One of the best ways to gain perspective on the vastness and richness of a poem, particularly a poem from yesteryear that still commands attention today, is to read from within and outside the poet’s cultural context. Learning more about a specific poet’s life, interests, home, circles of friends, and his or her social and cultural setting gives you hints so you can more clearly interpret the work.

DOES YOUR POET BUILD US THEIR WORLD THROUGH THEIR POEM? ?

DOES YOUR POET BUILD US THEIR WORLD THROUGH THEIR POEM? ?

bibliography �http: //www. infoplease. com/encyclopedia/entertain ment/english-literature-the-early-twentiethcentury. html �http: //www. baruch. cuny. edu/library/alumni/online _exhibits/digital/2000/c_n_c/c_10_20 th_cent/int

bibliography �http: //www. infoplease. com/encyclopedia/entertain ment/english-literature-the-early-twentiethcentury. html �http: //www. baruch. cuny. edu/library/alumni/online _exhibits/digital/2000/c_n_c/c_10_20 th_cent/int ro_modernism. htm �http: //www. poetryfoundation. org/learning/glossary -term/modernism �http: //www. webexhibits. org/poetry/background. ht ml