1. The Birth of Modernism (1914-1946)
Disillusionment

2. WWI End of optimism Disillusionment
Society in general wanted a new way of thinking
The literature of the time heavily reflects this “New Way” of thinking

3. Modernism writers sought to capture the essence of modern life in both the form and content of their work.

4. R.I.P
Reflect
Implied themes
Poetry

5. Reflect Fragmentation
The Modernists constructed their works out of fragments.
They omitted:
Introductions
Transitions
Resolutions
Explanations

6. Implied Themes Themes are not directly stated.
This creates a sense of confusion, forcing the reader to draw his or her own conclusion

7. Poetry No longer followed the traditional forms.
Free Verse was very popular

8. Modernism Demands This movement demanded more of the reader
draw conclusions
Fill in gaps
Make connections
Placed American literature on the same playing field as the rest of the world.

9. The Expatriates:
Disenchantment led to many writers’ self-imposed exile.
Many settled in Paris
“The Lost Generation”
Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway,
F. Scott Fitzgerald, Sherwood Anderson, Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot

10. They did not praise or even accept much of what the world had to offer.
They saw the world as random, meaningless chaos and hopelessness.
This was reflected in their writings.

11. Imagism

12. It took place in England and the US
It was a poetic movement that grew out of Modernism.

13. End of sentimentality Demanded hard, clear expression Concrete images
Language of everyday speech
Drew inspiration from
Greek and Roman classics
Chinese and Japanese poetry
French poets of the time
H.D. (Hilda Doolittle), Ezra Pound and Amy Lowell

14. Imagism (cont.) They were . . . They wanted to . . .
Create word pictures.
Express the essence of an object, person or incident, without providing explanations.
They were . . .
exceptionally careful in choosing words
convinced that everyday language was the language of the poet
They drew from Chinese and Japanese Haiku: Evoke emotions through an image or contrasting images