Aspects of Modern Poetry

Ministry of Higher Education and
Scientific Research
University of Samarra
College of Education
Department of English
Subject : Poetry
4th Grade
Evening Studies
‫اسم الطالب‬
‫محمد علي جسام‬
‫عنوان التقرير‬
Aspects of Modern Poetry
‫بأشرف‬
‫األستاذ سفيان عواد‬
Introduction
The 20th century was like no 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 the 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. While 20th-century literature is a diverse field covering a variety
of genres, there are common characteristics that changed literature forever.
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. While 20thcentury literature is a diverse field covering a variety
of genres, there are common characteristics that changed literature forever.
The modernist poetry in English emerged in the early years of 20th century
through various schools, styles and influences:
The first phase of the movement, the school of imagism, the style of French
symbolist poetry influence of Dome and the dominance of war poetry, these
were all different manifestations of modernism in English poetry (1909-
16)A.D.
During the flowering of Modernist poetry between 1917 and 1929, the 2nd
phase of movement, all these initial manifestations of modernism combined
to find a fully nature expression in the poetry of T.S. Eliot, Edith Sitwell and
later Yeats most notable of which are,
Eliot’s The Waste Land
Sitwell’s Gold Coast Customs
Yeats’s Michael Robartes and the Dances
The 3rd and the final phase of Modernist is largely the decade of the 30s which
is marked by the Marxed (Non-Marxist) poets such as Auden, Louis McNiece,
C. Day Lewis and Stephen Spender.
20th Century English Poetry Development
The 20th century English poetry emerged in the early years of the 20th century
through various schools, styles, and influences
1st Phase
The first phase of the movement, the school of imagism, the style of French
symbolist poetry influence of Dome and the dominance of war poetry, these
were all different manifestations of modernism in English poetry (1909-
16)A.D
2nd Phase
During the flowering of Modernist poetry between 1917 and 1929, the 2nd
phase of the movement, all these initial manifestations of modernism
combined to find a full nature expression in the poetry of T.S. Eliot, Edith
Sitwell and later Yeats most notable of which is, Eliot’s The Waste Land
Sitwell’s Gold Coast Customs Yeats’s Michael Robartes and the Dances.
3rd Phase
The 3rd and the final phase of Modernist is largely the decade of the 30s which
is marked by the Marxed (Non-Marxist) poets such as Auden, Louis McNiece,
C. Day Lewis and Stephen Spender.
20th Century English Poetry Characteristics
Diverse Variety of Themes
Poetry today can be written on almost any subject. The modern poets find
inspirations from railway trains, tramcars, telephones and things of
commonplace interest. Modern poets have not accepted the theory of great
subjects for poetic composition.
The whole universe is the modern poet’s composition. He writes on themes

of real life e.g. The Songs Train by John Davidson, Goods Train of Night by
Ashley, Machine Guns by Richard Aldington, Listeners by Walter.
Realism
The poetry of the 20th century is marked with a note of 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 poet sees life and paints it as it is with all its wait and ugliness.
He tears the veil which the romanticists had hug between life and art. Robert
Frost, Edmund Blunden, and Gibson are the poets of realism in modern
poetry.
Love
Love forms the subject of many modern lyrics Robert Bridges has produced
fine sonnets of love in The Growth of Love. E.g. I Will Not Let Thee Go.
W.B. Yeats’ When You are Old etc.
Pessimism
There is a note of pessimism and disillusionment in modern poetry. The

modern poet has realized the pettiness of human life and the tragedy and
suffering of the poor have made him gloomy and sad.
Poetry as the expression of the feeling has become autumnal in tone T. Hardy,
Huxley and T.S. Eliot are the poets of Pessimism and disillusionment in
modern poetry.
Romantic Elements
In spite of the dominance of realism, in modern poetry, the spirit of romance

continues to rule the minds of certain poets like Yeats, E. Thomas, Masefield
etc.
Nature
Nature attracts the modern poet no less than the poets of the earlier ages. But
the modern poet of 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 landscapes, sea and countryside in his poetry.
Masefield, Robert Bridges, Edmund Blunden etc are the great poets of nature
in modern 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. W.B. Yeats, Francis
Thompson, Robert Graves etc. are the great poets who have kept alive the
flame of religion and mysticism in their poetry.
Bibliography
David Perkins (1976). A History of Modern Poetry: From the 1890s to the
High Modernist Mode.
Edna Longley (2013). Yeats and Modern Poetry.

Aspects of Modern Poetry

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Aspects of Modern Poetry

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Aspects of Modern Poetry

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Ministry of Higher Education and

Modernism, a movement that was a radical break from 19th century

Sitwell’s Gold Coast Customs

Yeats’s Michael Robartes and the Dances

20th Century English Poetry Development

20th Century English Poetry Characteristics

Diverse Variety of Themes

The whole universe is the modern poet’s composition. He writes on themes

There is a note of pessimism and disillusionment in modern poetry. The

In spite of the dominance of realism, in modern poetry, the spirit of romance

Edna Longley (2013). Yeats and Modern Poetry.

You might also like