Modern Poetry

Hello Readers

 

This blog is a part of my classroom activity in which the teacher gave a task to students to identify modernist metaphors in these following short poems. Before the explanation of the poems we should know about the background as well as the features of the modernist poetry, so we can understand modern poetry very well.

 

 

 

What is modernism?

 

Modernism” refers to the collective literary trend in the early twentieth century. The early-twentieth century writers broke up the traditional way of writing.

Though it was an age of many inventions, there is darker side of the picture too. This dark side was captured in literature as well.

Characteristics of Modernist Literature:-

* Complexity in structure

* Fragmentation

* Use of Negative words

* Experimentation with language and form

* Use of allusions and paradoxes

* Use of myth and classical references

* Isolation

* Brokenness

* Nothingness

* Disinterested

* Disillusionment

* Effects of war

* Sexual perversion and spiritual degradation

* Art for Life's Sake

20th Century English Poetry Characteristic

 👉Diversity variety of themes

 

Poetry today can be written on almost any subject. The modern poets find inspiration from railway, trains, tramcars, telephones and things of commonplace interest, the whole universe is the moderns poet's composition.

 

👉Realism

 

Realism in Modern poetry was the product of a reaction against the pseudo-romanticism of the last century over and above the influence of science. The modern poets sees life and paints it as it is with all its wait and ugliness. he tears the veil which the romanticism had hug between life and art.

 

👉Pessimism

 

There is a note of pessimism and disillusionment in modern poetry. the modern poets has realised the pettiness of human life and the tragedy and suffering of the poor have made him gloomy and sad.

 

👉Romantic element

 

The spirit of romance continues to rule the minds of certain poets like Yeats. The spirit of romance is as old as the life itself. Walter De Le Mare's poetry is full of true romantic spirit bordering on super-naturalism.

 

 

👉Nature

 

Nature attract the modern poets no less than the poets of the earlier ages. But for the modern poet, nature is not a mystic. He does not find any spiritual meaning in nature. he feels jolly at the sight of nature's loveliness. he gives a clear picture of birds, clouds landscape, sea and countryside in his poetry.

 

👉Religion and Mysticism

 

The modern age is the age of science, but even in this scientific age, we have poems written on the subject of religion and mysticism.

 

 👉Diction and Style

 

Modern poets have a preference for simple and direct expression. modern poets have chosen to be free in the use of metre. They have followed freedom from trammels of verse. There is free movement in 20th century English poetry.

Let us analyse and identify  modernist metaphors/symbols/images from the given poems:-

1) 'The Embankment'- T.E.Hulme

 

Once, in finesse of fiddles found I ecstasy, 

 flash of gold heels on the hard pavement. 

Now see I 

That warmth’s the very stuff of poesy. 

Oh, God, make small 

The old star-eaten blanket of the sky, 

That I may fold it round me and in comfort lie.

This poem can be connected with one of universal human laws "Nostalgia is very powerful". The analysis of this short poem available on the internet says “The Embankment is about the fantasia of a fallen gentleman on a cold butter night".

The phrases like 'hard pavement’, ' star-eaten blanket' reflects the harshness of life seen by poet. Star is a symbol of brightness and success but here it denotes a negative meaning.

2)Darkness- by Joseph Campbell

 

I stop to watch a star shine in the boghole –

A star no longer, but a silver ribbon of light.

I look at it, and pass on.

\The title itself reflects the dark shade. Darkness gives us an image of downfall.       'Star' is a symbol of prosperity and brightness means that there was some goodness in civilization but now it's all dark.

If anyone looks at the stars, he or she will sit and admire the beauty of the night, but here post just looks at it and passes on. This reflects the disinterestedness prevalent in modern times.  How modernists were not interested in the so-called brightness of the Victorian age can be seen here. The decayed condition of the civilization is presented.

3) Image- by Edward Storer

 

"Forsaken lovers,

Burning to a chaste white moon

upon strange pyres of loneliness and drought".

 

In this poem, poet used the symbol of "white moon" as it connects the heart of two lover, but poet here used it in opposite side that it burns lovers and they can't chaste with each other. Their loneliness is there though they are together. So, here we can interpret that modernist think that we all are alone in crowd.

4) "In a station of the metro" by Ezra Pound

 

"The apparition of these faces in a crowd,

petals in wet, black bough

 

The title of the poem itself gives an image of the mechanism of life. The lifeless people going for the daily routine. The crowd of people are like living dead. Going for work without any enthusiasm. 'Petals' is used as metaphor for people and 'black bough' for a culture of living dead.

 

5)The pool- by Hilda Dolittle

 

"Are you alive?

I touched you

you quiver trembling like a sea fish

I cover you with my net

What are you banded one?

 

Very first line of the poem, 'Are you alive? arise the question of existence which is one of the important aspect of modern literature. People of modern time became like sea fish that they are controlled or bound by some chain that they can't free from them. The title "Pool" is also symbolize the stillness like water store in it which don't have flowness which is most important things in the life to flow from one to another.

 

Similar lines can be found in the poem "The Wasteland" by T.S.Eliot -

 

"Are you alive or not?

Is there nothing in your head?" - Part 2

 

 

6) "Insouciance"- By Richard Aldington

 

"In and out of the dreary trenches

Trudging cheerily under the stars

I make for myself little poems

Delicate as a flock of dovesin 

Thy fly away like white-winged Doves.

 

This poem speaks about how people were living in modern age.  The word dreary trenches presents the loneliness in the life of modern people. In that isolation they try to relief themselves by writing down their feelings in a words. As poet says that, ‘I make for myself little poems’ through this poet express his feeling in isolation.

 

 7) “Morning at the Window”- T.S.Eliot

 

They are rattling breakfast plates in basement kitchens,

                  And along the trampled edges of the street

I am aware of the damp souls of housemaids

Sprouting despondently at area gates.

The brown waves of fog toss up to me

Twisted faces from the bottom of the street,

And tear from a passer-by with muddy skirts

An aimless smile that hovers in the air

And vanishes along the level of the roofs.

 

Compared to Romanticists, its language & selection of word is totally different.The word 'Rattling' means vibrating, shaking plates and 'Damp' means in low spirits from loss of hope or courage.Their soul has become like Damp; lifeless.'Fog' is also negative word; it doesn't allow you to see the things clearly.'Twisted faces' also connotes negative sides 'tear' , 'Muddy skirt', 'Aimless smile' Most of the words are negative. This poem gives images and symbols of the dead spirit in people, doing everything aimlessly. Death of spirit can be seen.

 

8) "The Red wheelbarrow- William carols William

 

 so much depends

Upon

a red wheel

Barrow

glazed with rain

Water

beside the white

chickens

 

It's a quite confusing poem. Generally ‘wheelbarrow’ means a small cart with a single wheel at the front and two supporting legs and two handles at the rear, used typically for carrying loads in building work or grad. Here poets put the word separately which gives a different meaning. Barrow alone means an ancient burial mound. Again the words 'rain' and 'water' also symbolises positive and negative. The colours 'red' and 'white' are used in dual way. It makes the poem difficult in understanding.

 

9) Anecdote of the Jar- Wallace Stevens

 

I placed a jar in Tennessee,  

And round it was, upon a hill.  

It made the slovenly wilderness  

Surround that hill.

The wilderness rose up to it,

And sprawled around, no longer wild.  

The jar was round upon the ground  

And tall and of a port in air.

It took dominion everywhere.  

The jar was gray and bare.

It did not give of bird or bush,  

Like nothing else in Tennessee.

 

 

Like a John Keats’s “The Grecian Urn”, this poem is also a exaggeration of the picture of jar. Thorough this poem poet also mocks on the industrialization of modern century. By using the metaphor jar poet provides us a vision to look at nature in a good manner.

 

10)   “ I” – E.E.Cummings

 

“A leaf falls with loneliness”

 

 This poem is quite difficult.It means a leaf fall on loneliness. 'Loneliness' shows the sense of depression prevalent in Europe during 90s. The word 'fall' suggests and fall of spirituality. How a tree becomes barren when the last leaf falls, same is reflected here. Loss of hope can be also seen. In few words the poet has said so much.We can connect this idea with the idea of death.