Modernist poems Activity

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 the mood of modern poetry.

                                                     

The 20th century was like no time period before it. Einstein, Darwin, Freud and Marx were just some of the thinkers who profoundly changed the Western culture. These changes took distinct shape in the literature of 20th century. Modernism, a movement that was a radical break from 19th century Victorianism, led to post-modernism, which emphasized self consciousness and pop art.

20th Century English Poetry Development

The 20th century development poetry emerged in the early of the 20th century through various schools, style and influence. There are three main phase of the modernist poetry movement:

1st Phase:

In this phase of the movement, the school of imagism, French symbolism and war poetry.

2nd Phase:

The second phase of the movement, all these initial manifestation of modernism combined to find a full nature expression in the poetry.

3rd phase:

The final phase of modernist is largely the decade of the 30s which is marked by marxed poets.

*20th Century English Poetry Characteristic*

1) 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.

2)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.

3)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.

4) 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.

5)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.

6) Humanitarian and democratic note

Modern poetry is marked with a note of humanitarianism and democratic feeling. The modern poet, more than Wordsworth interested in the life of laborers, workers etc.

8)  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.

9) 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/symbol/images from the given some interesting poem.

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 is about the homeless poor people and 'fallen gentleman' reflects on his past, it is may be related to sexuality. In this poem speaker wants warmth and and shelter to live that is why he request to the God that gave warmth me. So, we can say that this poem is about the basic requirement. There are many metaphor, symbol and images like "Finesse of fiddles", :Flash of gold hills", "Star eaten blanket", Fallen gentlemen"

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.

In this poem we can find the modern metaphor like "Silver ribbon" and image like "Boghole". Joseph Campbell strict modern poet, his poem against the Victorian themes. The present poem's title itself suggest the contradiction between darkness and shiny star. speaker might be tell about the illusions in the life.

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

This poem's structure against the Victorian poems, Victorian used to write very lengthy poem but here poet use very short poem like the metro speed. Here, poet used very good metaphor "Petals on wet black bought". This poem suggest the busy life of city people they have not time to face each other like city life is lifeless. we can say that this poem is about the loneliness in crowd.

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.

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.

In this poem the poet presents that how people are living their life insouciance way with carelessness. They try to express their feeling in literature as poet says "I make for myself little poem" the way of living is with no excitement "In and out of the dreary trenches" but though all are walking on their path with such cheer, the reference of "White-winged Doves" is used for modern culture of living life and feeling of isolation is there.

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 

The brown waves of fog toss up to me         
Sprouting despondently at area gates. 
 

And tear from a passer-by with muddy skirts 
Twisted faces from the bottom of the street, 
An aimless smile that hovers in the air 

And vanishes along the level of the roofs.

The present poem about the modern view of England. The main idea of the poem is poverty, it presents the picture of poor people. who have to face several hardship from morning to the late night.

There are vivid images that makes the poem imagist one for e.g- "Rattling breakfast plates", "Damp souls", "brown waves", "Twisted faces", "Muddy Skirts", "Aimless smile".

8) "The Red wheelbarrow- William carols William

'so much depends
upon


barrow
a red wheel


water
glazed with rain


chickens.' 

beside the white

The poem sings a song of craftsmanship. Poet says, 'so much depends upon a red Wheelbarrow. It glazes in rain like white chickens. Though industry and factories have took place, craftsmanship is also important.

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.



   This is a imaginative poem which exaggerate the picture of jar. Poet placed that jar upon hill, jar reminds us the Grecian urn of Keats. Poets sing the glory of the jar and also ask the question that which is superior 'a work of art or nature?'



10) "I (A- E.E.Cummings

"A leaf  falls with loneliness"

This is has many images, reader can interpret anything which they want. The image in the poem is loneliness and a leaf. we can connect with death of human with fallen leaf. So, isolation is the  main theme and image of this one line poem.