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The rejection of history
What is Modernism?
• In very rough terms, Modernism is a far-reaching cultural,
artistic and political movement that developed in Europe in the
late 19th century and which flourished all over the Western
World during and especially after the First World War.
• Modernism was characterized by a systematic rejection of
Victorian and Edwardian ideas, attitudes and beliefs.
• The Victorian age had been characterized by optimism and by a
clear perception of a “world order” led by the powerful British
Empire.
• The First World War caused such devastation, that the pervading
mood of Modernism was one of pessimism and hopelessness.
There was no longer an established “world order” and all
conventions became questionable.
Modernism in the visual arts
• In the visual arts, modernism attempted to break free from
figurative representation in favour of abstract forms and
ideas.
• Modernism emphasised the return to the fundamental
characteristics of art, away from tradition.
• Modern art is usually associated with the expression “art
for art’s sake” that is an art that does not have a specific
purpose or utilitarian value.
• Modern artists were Pablo Picasso, Wassily Kandinsky,
Jackson Pollock and Piet Mondrain among many others.
Music
• No art was left untouched by the wave of
modernism.
• In music, there was a rejection of traditional
harmony and rhythm in favour of experimentation
with pure sound.
• Music became atonal and complex, full of
unexpected and bizarre variations.
• The influence of modernism can be seen in the
music of Igor Stravinsky, Arnold Schoenberg and
in Jazz musicians such as John Coltrane and
Ornette Coleman.
Literature
• In literature, modernism is reflected in a rejection
of traditional narrative structures and themes.
• The modernist writer is more concerned with the
subconscious mind rather than with the
development of a logical plot or series of events.
• Literature becomes increasingly experimental.
• There is a move away from description and
rational exposition in favour of experimental
techniques such as stream-of-consciousness.
Poetry
• In poetry there is a conscious revolution against
traditional techniques and conventional themes.
• Traditional metre is also challenged and rejected.
• The modernist poets begin to experiment with themes
that are complex and symbolic.
• Modern poetry becomes discordant and fragmentary.
• There is no recognizable rhyme pattern.
• There is variable line length.
• There are unusual and often bizarre metaphors.
• Modernist poetry tended to reflect the ugly and
hopeless world left in the ashes of the Great War.
Thomas Stearns Eliot
(September 26, 1888 - January 4, 1965)
• T.S. Elliot was an American poet,
dramatist, and literary critic.
• T.S. Eliot made his life and literary
career in Great Britain.
• In 1922, the publication of The
Waste Land became one of the
principal examples of the new
wave of poetry of the time. The
Waste Land came to represent the
disillusionment of the post-World
War I generation.
Ezra Weston Loomis Pound
(October 30, 1885 - November 1, 1972)
• Pound was a poet and critic
who, along with T. S. Eliot, was
one of the major figures of the
modernist movement in early
20th century poetry. He was the
driving force behind several
modernist movements, notably
Imagism and Vorticism.
• His best poetry is mostly found
in his Cantos.
Picasso
Kandinsky
Pollock
Mondrain
Figurative or concrete art
Tradition