Romanticism, to Realism, to Modernism Idealization, Accuracy, and Abstraction

Romanticism Idealization Values intuition over logic/reason Appreciation of beauty for beauty’s sake Emphasis on the individual in harmony with nature and others Inspiration from nature and the past Examples: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Henry David Thoreau, Edgar Allan Poe

Realism Focus on accurate/true portrayal of events, subjects, characters, society, etc. Frequently depicts ordinary people doing ordinary things, subjects and situations Goal of realistic portrayal leads to use of dialects in literature, morally ambiguous characters, and everyday situations Use of irony and satire to address social problems and ethical issues Examples: Mark Twain, Stephen Crane, Zora Neale Hurston

Modernism Abstract and conceptual depictions rather than idealized or realistically “accurate” ones Disillusionment Rebellion against conventional forms of art, poetry, music and literature Acknowledges chaos and cruelty of the world Goal of self expression and commentary on society Absurdity/satire often used as social commentary Examples: Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, Carl Sandburg, James Joyce

In Poetry… Focus on symbols and images rather than rhyme scheme or metaphor to convey messages Belief that the “truth” could be revealed abstracted through images in a more emotionally powerful way

“In a Station of the Metro” by Ezra Pound The apparitions of these faces in the crowd; Petals on a wet, black bough.

Questions to ask: What images are used in the poem? What message or emotion is the poet trying to convey by presenting us with these images?