1. Modern Poetry – Trends/ Tendencies

2. Changing social outlook influenced perspective of modern writers .
Poets – new sensibility – did not want to continue prevailing poetic trends

3. DECLINE AND INNOVATION
A.C WARD decline in poetry after Tennyson .
As civilization advances , poetry declines but there have been innumerable poets , many
of them making exemplary contribution to the rich heritage of English poetry …….

4. … Lot of experimentation , innovation , many movements , schools , groups appeared and
Disappeared e.g Imagism,Surrealism etc .
Some poets stuck to the traditional forms .
Some combined tradition and innovation .
Innovators like Eliot also influenced by poets before them .

5. THEMES
Almost anything – from the telephone , car to the universe . Not only beautiful .
But as T.S Eliot puts it, Poet should be able to see “ beneath both beauty and ugliness; to see the boredom , the horror and the glory .”
Themes and moods – real life , religion , mysticism , fairy land .

6. HUMANITARIANISM AND DEMOCRATIC NOTE
Realisation of the sad realities of life .
led to a note of fellowfeeling and humanitarianism .
Modern poet talks of the life of labourers, toilers, field workers .
Voices indignation against social repression
Strains of socialism/ communism .
Masefield , Gibson , Galsworthy .

7. Realism Reaction against the pseudo romanticism of the last century .
Sees and writes life as it is , beauty and ugliness
Facts like prostitution , wars , terror , brutality , slum dwellers . (unpoetic themes till now)
Poets of Realism – Robert Frost , Edmund Blunden , Gibson , John Masefield
War Poets – Siegfried Sassoon , Rupert Brooke , Wilfred Owen .

8. PESSIMISM Age of anxiety
Note of pessimism and disillusionment in modern poetry .
Two wars – gloomy shadow .
Pettiness of human life
Tragedy and suffering of downtrodden .
Disillusionment
Materialism , tensions .
(Houseman , Hardy , Huxley , Eliot
Not self pity but intellectual and impersonal perssimism

9. ROMANTIC ELEMENT IN MODERN POETS
Inspite of Realism , Pessimism .
Some poets do show romantic tendencies .
(Walter De La Mare , James E Flecker , Yeats , Masefield , Edward Thomas )
Romantic spirit touched with supernatural (fairies) and Mythical Splendour .

10. RELIGION AND MYSTICISM
Also find place in modern poetry . Flame of religion and mysticism kept alive .
Francis Thompson , Robert Graves , G.K Chesterton , W.B Yeats , George Russell

11. LOVE
Fine poems/lyrics of love also written . But few despair fulfilment .
John Masefield , Robert Bridges , Arthur Symonds , Yeats

12. NATURE
Nature fascinating , as opposed to the ugliness and drabness of an industrialised and over
sophisticated world .
Modern part of nature not a Mystic- does not find spiritual meaning in nature .
But elated ,charmed at nature’s loveliness .
John Masefield , Robert Bridges , Edmund Blunden .

13. COMPLEXITY AND PSYCHOLOGY
Psychology complexity
Difficult imagery
Interest in subconscious working

14. DICTION/STYLE Simple , direct expressions .
Words chosen for their association and meaning .
“Vers Libre “ – Free verse .

15. Literature is life .
Modern Poetry is reflection of Modern Life .
Realistic in tone .
Expresses spirit of age .

16. (All material put together from various books and material from the net)
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