1. Modernism

8. modernism
a style or movement in the arts that aims to break with classical and traditional forms
Prompted by development of industrial societies, urbanization, responses to WWI
Self-conscious and ironic; concerned with the processes and materials of artistic creation
Rejection of realism
reflects the desire to reshape, recreate,
Re-examination of traditional; embracing progress

9. Modernist literature Response to: WWI Technology Psychological Theory
Increased capitalism
Apparent decline of civilization
Alienation and loneliness

10. Modernist literature Fiction written in first person
Use of stream of consciousness, often with no clear beginning, middle, end
Increased use of irony and satire
Emphasis on impressionism and subjectivity – how seeing and reading takes place rather than on what is perceived
Blurring of distinctions between genres
Emphasis on fragmented forms, discontinuous narratives
Art is self-conscious – shows itself as something constructed and consumed
Rejection of formal aesthetic theories

11. Modernist: Ezra Pound
Title: In a Station of the Metro The apparition of these faces in the crowd; Petals on a wet, black bough. (an imagist poem, 1913 – a clear image of faces as petals that brings together the urban world of the Paris Metro with the world of leaves and trees – suggests fragility and brevity of life)