"The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new forms of art, philosophy, and social organization which reflected the newly emerging industrial world, including features such as urbanization, architecture, new technologies, and war."
Literature from the early 20th century that was marked by a rejection of traditional values and forms, including works such as James Joyce's Ulysses and Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway.
The historical context of Modernism: This topic explores the social, political, and cultural changes that took place during the early 20th century, which provided the backdrop for Modernist literature.
Major Modernist writers and their works: Modernism was a broad movement that spanned multiple languages and cultures. Learning about the key writers and their works is important to understanding the movement as a whole.
Modernist themes and motifs: Modernist literature is known for its experimentation and innovation, but it also explores a range of thematic concerns that are central to understanding the movement. These include alienation, fragmentation, the breakdown of traditional values and beliefs, and the search for meaning in a rapidly changing world.
Literary movements that influenced Modernism: Modernism was not a self-contained movement, but rather one that grew out of earlier literary and cultural movements. Understanding the influences on Modernism can help deepen one's appreciation of the movement's contributions to literary history.
The impact of Modernism on later literary and cultural movements: Modernism was influential on a wide range of later movements, from post-modernism to the Beat generation. Understanding the legacy of Modernism can broaden one's understanding of literary history as a whole.
Modernist techniques and forms: Innovation extends beyond themes and motifs in Modernist literature. The movement is characterized by a range of techniques and forms that pushed the boundaries of traditional storytelling, including stream of consciousness narration, non-linear storytelling, and experimental structures.
Modernist visual arts: Modernism was not confined to literature but extended to other artistic media, particularly in visual arts. Learning about the key artists and their works can help provide a well-rounded understanding of Modernism as a cultural movement.
Gender and sexuality in Modernism: Although the movement was often associated with male writers, women played an important role and produced significant works. Further, Modernism also explored issues of sexuality and gender, topics that were often taboo during the period.
Modernist cinema: As cinema emerged as a new medium, filmmakers experimented with techniques and forms that mirrored Modernist literature. Understanding the contribution of Modernist filmmakers and their impact on the medium can enhance one's understanding of Modernism in the broader cultural context.
Contemporary perspectives on Modernism: Although Modernism emerged over a century ago, it continues to generate literary and cultural criticism in the present. Exploring contemporary perspectives on Modernism can help contextualize the movement in the ongoing conversation about literary history.
Imagism: A literary movement that emerged in the early 20th century, characterized by the use of precise, concrete imagery and a focus on the sensory experience of the world.
Expressionism: A literary movement that emphasized the subjective experience of the individual, often through the use of intense, emotional language and unconventional grammar and syntax.
Dadaism: An artistic and literary movement characterized by an embrace of absurdity, irrationality, and anti-art, as a response to the perceived senselessness and horror of World War I.
Surrealism: A literary and artistic movement that sought to explore the subconscious mind and the world of dreams, often through the use of unconventional, symbolic imagery.
Futurism: A literary and artistic movement that emphasized speed, modernity, and the technology of the future, often through the use of dynamic, violent imagery.
Stream of consciousness: A narrative technique that attempts to capture the flow of a character’s thoughts and impressions, often through the use of fragmented, disjointed language and shifting perspectives.
Absurdism: A literary and philosophical movement that emphasizes the meaningless of human existence and the absurdity of the world, often through the use of dark humor and surreal imagery.
Modernist poetry: A genre of poetry characterized by a rejection of traditional forms and rhyme schemes, and an embrace of free verse, fragmentation, and experimentation with language.
Modernist fiction: A genre of fiction characterized by a rejection of traditional narrative structures and an embrace of non-linear, disjointed narratives and experimental language.
Objectivism: A literary movement that emerged in the 1930s and emphasized the importance of clear, precise language and a focus on the objective world of things and actions.
"Artists attempted to depart from traditional forms of art, which they considered outdated or obsolete."
"The poet Ezra Pound's 1934 injunction to 'Make it New' was the touchstone of the movement's approach."
"Modernist innovations included abstract art, the stream-of-consciousness novel, montage cinema, atonal and twelve-tone music, divisionist painting, and modern architecture."
"Modernism explicitly rejected the ideology of realism..."
"Modernism... made use of the works of the past by the employment of reprise, incorporation, rewriting, recapitulation, revision, and parody."
"Modernism also rejected the certainty of Enlightenment thinking..."
"A notable characteristic of modernism is self-consciousness concerning artistic and social traditions, which often led to experimentation with form..."
"...along with the use of techniques that drew attention to the processes and materials used in creating works of art."
"While some scholars see modernism continuing into the 21st century, others see it evolving into late modernism or high modernism."
"Postmodernism is a departure from modernism and rejects its basic assumptions."
"...broad transformations in Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries."
"[Modernism sought to reflect] the newly emerging industrial world, including features such as urbanization, architecture, new technologies, and war."
"[Modernists] considered [traditional forms of art] outdated or obsolete."
"Modernist innovations included... atonal and twelve-tone music."
"Modernism also rejected... religious belief."
"Modernist innovations included... modern architecture."
"Modernism... made use of the works of the past by... rewriting, recapitulation, revision, and parody."
"A notable characteristic of modernism is self-consciousness concerning artistic and social traditions, which often led to experimentation with form..."
"Postmodernism is a departure from modernism and rejects its basic assumptions."