The Modernist Period
1910-1945
Introduction:
America entered the twentieth century optimistically as a wealthy, strong world power. Although this time period started off with prosperity, it soon became one characterized by two world wars and a severe economic depression. These events ushered in a new age in American literature, Modernism, as writers began to attempt to express modern life with their writings.
The Modernist era was an era of boldness and fast-paced living. The culture saw the Harlem Renaissance and the Roaring Twenties (also known as the Jazz Age). This was a time of flourishing art and extravagant living that acted as a prequel to the Great Depression. In literature, the era was characterized by a break away from traditional styles of poetry and other types of writing. Ezra Pound began the Imagist movement. This poetry abandoned all traditional form and sought to portray a single image in time. It was during this time that authors began to experiment with different styles of writing and earned American international acclaim.
Although their works were very different, Modern authors shared a common purpose, which was to capture the essence of modern life. This purpose is why most modernist literature was written in a pessimistic way. Most modern works reflected the thoughts and confusion of most Americans, especially during the Great Depression and the two World Wars. The chaotic literature revealed the instability of the American people's mindset as they attempted to understand what was going on around them. There was also a loss of faith and hope in the American people during this time period and a collapse of morality and values. Furthermore, this loss of values led to a confused sense of identity and place in the world, as is iterated in T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock."
The literature of the era was often times fragmented to cause confusion and intentionally break the flow of words in literature. Two major themes of the era were confusion and disillusionment. These themes and this literary movement as a whole reflected the new mindset of the American people after the turn of the century. It was because of this mindset and the loss of hope in the American dream, that the major authors of the time period such as Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Faulkner, Eliot, and Pound became known as the Lost Generation.
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America entered the twentieth century optimistically as a wealthy, strong world power. Although this time period started off with prosperity, it soon became one characterized by two world wars and a severe economic depression. These events ushered in a new age in American literature, Modernism, as writers began to attempt to express modern life with their writings.
The Modernist era was an era of boldness and fast-paced living. The culture saw the Harlem Renaissance and the Roaring Twenties (also known as the Jazz Age). This was a time of flourishing art and extravagant living that acted as a prequel to the Great Depression. In literature, the era was characterized by a break away from traditional styles of poetry and other types of writing. Ezra Pound began the Imagist movement. This poetry abandoned all traditional form and sought to portray a single image in time. It was during this time that authors began to experiment with different styles of writing and earned American international acclaim.
Although their works were very different, Modern authors shared a common purpose, which was to capture the essence of modern life. This purpose is why most modernist literature was written in a pessimistic way. Most modern works reflected the thoughts and confusion of most Americans, especially during the Great Depression and the two World Wars. The chaotic literature revealed the instability of the American people's mindset as they attempted to understand what was going on around them. There was also a loss of faith and hope in the American people during this time period and a collapse of morality and values. Furthermore, this loss of values led to a confused sense of identity and place in the world, as is iterated in T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock."
The literature of the era was often times fragmented to cause confusion and intentionally break the flow of words in literature. Two major themes of the era were confusion and disillusionment. These themes and this literary movement as a whole reflected the new mindset of the American people after the turn of the century. It was because of this mindset and the loss of hope in the American dream, that the major authors of the time period such as Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Faulkner, Eliot, and Pound became known as the Lost Generation.
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Robert Frost:
"In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: it goes on."
-Robert Frost
Robert Frost was born on March 26, 1874 in San Francisco, California. He spent the first 11 years there until his father died of tuberculosis. Frost and his mother and sister moved in with his grandparents. Frost attended Lawrence High School, where he met his future wife and co-valedictorian, Elinor White.
After his high school graduation in 1892, Frost attended Dartmouth University for several months. He didn’t complete college and instead returned home to work a few odd jobs.
In 1894, he had his first poem, "My Butterfly: an Elegy." IIt was published in The Independent. After this success, Frost proposed to Elinor. She turned him down because she first wanted to finish college. Frost then decided to leave on a trip to Virginia, and when he returned, he proposed again. Elinor had graduated from college at that time and she accepted. They married on December 19, 1895, and had their first child, Elliot, in 1896.
In 1897, Frost attended Harvard University. He soon had to drop out after two years due to health concerns. He returned to Lawrence to join his wife, who was now pregnant with their second child, Lesley. In 1900, Frost and his family moved to a farm in New Hampshire and attempted to make a life on it for the next 12 years. Though it was a productive time for Frost's writing, it was a difficult period in his personal life. Elinor gave birth to four more children. Two of his children suffered from mental illness, and two of them died. Despite these challenges, Frost became accustomed to rural life and began setting many poems in the countryside.
When Frost was 38, he found a publisher who would publish his first book of poems, A Boy’s Will, followed by North of Boston a year later. It was at this time that Frost met Ezra Pound and Edward Thomas. Pound and Thomas were the first to review his work in a favorable light, as well as provide Frost with encouragement and advice. Frost claimed that Thomas's long walks over the English landscape served as the inspiration for one of his most famous poems, "The Road Not Taken." The time Frost spent in England was one of the most significant periods in his life and in his work, but it was very short. WWI broke out in 1914, and as a result, Frost and Elinor returned to America early in 1915.
When Frost arrived back home, he was well-received by the publishing world. Frost famously sent the Monthly the same poems that they had rejected before his stay in England.In 1916, Frost and Elinor settled down once again on a farm New Hampshire. Frost then began his career as a teacher at several colleges. Frost received more than 40 honorary degrees during his lifetime. In 1924, he received his first of four Pulitzer Prizes.
In 1961, at the age of 86, Frost was asked to write and recite a poem for President John F. Kennedy's inauguration. He decided to recite one of his poems, "The Gift Outright," from memory. On January 29, 1963, Frost died from complications related to surgery. His ashes are interred in a family plot in Bennington, Vermont.
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"In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: it goes on."
-Robert Frost
Robert Frost was born on March 26, 1874 in San Francisco, California. He spent the first 11 years there until his father died of tuberculosis. Frost and his mother and sister moved in with his grandparents. Frost attended Lawrence High School, where he met his future wife and co-valedictorian, Elinor White.
After his high school graduation in 1892, Frost attended Dartmouth University for several months. He didn’t complete college and instead returned home to work a few odd jobs.
In 1894, he had his first poem, "My Butterfly: an Elegy." IIt was published in The Independent. After this success, Frost proposed to Elinor. She turned him down because she first wanted to finish college. Frost then decided to leave on a trip to Virginia, and when he returned, he proposed again. Elinor had graduated from college at that time and she accepted. They married on December 19, 1895, and had their first child, Elliot, in 1896.
In 1897, Frost attended Harvard University. He soon had to drop out after two years due to health concerns. He returned to Lawrence to join his wife, who was now pregnant with their second child, Lesley. In 1900, Frost and his family moved to a farm in New Hampshire and attempted to make a life on it for the next 12 years. Though it was a productive time for Frost's writing, it was a difficult period in his personal life. Elinor gave birth to four more children. Two of his children suffered from mental illness, and two of them died. Despite these challenges, Frost became accustomed to rural life and began setting many poems in the countryside.
When Frost was 38, he found a publisher who would publish his first book of poems, A Boy’s Will, followed by North of Boston a year later. It was at this time that Frost met Ezra Pound and Edward Thomas. Pound and Thomas were the first to review his work in a favorable light, as well as provide Frost with encouragement and advice. Frost claimed that Thomas's long walks over the English landscape served as the inspiration for one of his most famous poems, "The Road Not Taken." The time Frost spent in England was one of the most significant periods in his life and in his work, but it was very short. WWI broke out in 1914, and as a result, Frost and Elinor returned to America early in 1915.
When Frost arrived back home, he was well-received by the publishing world. Frost famously sent the Monthly the same poems that they had rejected before his stay in England.In 1916, Frost and Elinor settled down once again on a farm New Hampshire. Frost then began his career as a teacher at several colleges. Frost received more than 40 honorary degrees during his lifetime. In 1924, he received his first of four Pulitzer Prizes.
In 1961, at the age of 86, Frost was asked to write and recite a poem for President John F. Kennedy's inauguration. He decided to recite one of his poems, "The Gift Outright," from memory. On January 29, 1963, Frost died from complications related to surgery. His ashes are interred in a family plot in Bennington, Vermont.
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Literary Themes:
The major literary themes of the Modernist Era are confusion, isolation, and disillusionment. These themes reflect the mindset of the American people and the feelings that plagued them throughout the early 1900s. T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is a good representation of the theme of confusion by not only being confusing to read because of its fragmentation, but also by showing a man (Prufrock) who is grappling with decision making and trying to figure out what class of society he belongs in like many during this time period did.
The theme of isolation shows not only in everyday relationships but as the American people's take on world affairs. The U.S. desired to remain neutral through both World Wars, but eventually were forced into participation. “In Another Country,” by Ernest Hemingway portrays the isolation felt by soldiers and common Americans.
The theme of disillusionment is arguably the most common theme of the Modernist era. There was a disillusionment in the American people that the first world war would be quick and painless. The Great Gatsby displays the theme of disillusionment in that he truly believes that he can recreate his past with Daisy. Katherine Anne Porter’s story, “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,” shows confusion and disillusionment that accompanies growing old and dying. Overall, this widespread disillusionment reflected the loss of values and faith that suddenly occurred in the American people at the turn of the century.
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The major literary themes of the Modernist Era are confusion, isolation, and disillusionment. These themes reflect the mindset of the American people and the feelings that plagued them throughout the early 1900s. T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is a good representation of the theme of confusion by not only being confusing to read because of its fragmentation, but also by showing a man (Prufrock) who is grappling with decision making and trying to figure out what class of society he belongs in like many during this time period did.
The theme of isolation shows not only in everyday relationships but as the American people's take on world affairs. The U.S. desired to remain neutral through both World Wars, but eventually were forced into participation. “In Another Country,” by Ernest Hemingway portrays the isolation felt by soldiers and common Americans.
The theme of disillusionment is arguably the most common theme of the Modernist era. There was a disillusionment in the American people that the first world war would be quick and painless. The Great Gatsby displays the theme of disillusionment in that he truly believes that he can recreate his past with Daisy. Katherine Anne Porter’s story, “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,” shows confusion and disillusionment that accompanies growing old and dying. Overall, this widespread disillusionment reflected the loss of values and faith that suddenly occurred in the American people at the turn of the century.
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Key Authors:
- T. S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"
- Ezra Pound - "A Few Don'ts" and "In a Station of the Metro"
- William Carlos Williams - "The Red Wheelbarrow," "This Is Just to Say," and "The Great Figure"
- H.D. (Hilda Doolittle) - "Pear Tree"
- F. Scott Fitzgerald - "Winter Dreams", The Great Gatsby
- John Steinbeck - "The Turtle" from The Grapes of Wrath
- Wystan Hugh Auden - "The Unknown Citizen"
- e. e. Cummings - "old age sticks" and "anyone lived in a pretty how town"
- Ernest Hemingway - "In Another Country"
- William Faulkner - "A Rose for Emily" and Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech
- Katherine Anne Porter - "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall"
- Eudora Welty - "A Worn Path"
- James Thurber - "The Night the Ghost Got In"
- Carl Sandburg - "Chicago" and "Grass"
- Robert Frost - "Birches," "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," "Mending Wall," and "Acquainted with the Night”
- Langston Hughes - "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," "I, Too," "Dream Variations,"and "Refugee in America"
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Culture:
Music, clothing, and art from this time period
Music, clothing, and art from this time period