Most scholars agree that the Modernist period authors published their works from the 1880s till the mid-1940s. Society experienced various transformations during this period. Communities witnessed both – the developments of industrialization and the destruction of war.
With such changing conditions, writers took a different approach to address those circumstances. In this post, we shall discuss some modern-age elements for your English homework help you meet the deadlines. But let’s first start by discussing the 5 main characteristics of Modern Age English Literature.
5 Prime Features of Modern-Age English Literature
- Individualism– Modernist literature took a more individualistic approach to define society. Their focus was on studying how an individual adapted themselves (and succeeded in some cases) to the changing world. But they focussed primarily on how people barely survived that period. As a result, English writers created characters that reflected their persona to maintain their integrity amidst such trivial times. Ernest Hemmingway, for instance, was a writer who followed individualism.
- Experimentation– The modernist writers broke off from the chains of traditional writing schemes as poets began using free verse writing approaches. Writers and novelists created different styles using older approaches and juxtaposed them with the current languages and themes. Modern-age English writers focussed on the internal activities of consciousness. Such an approach introduced the “stream of consciousness,” transforming the novel’s viewpoint into a thinking pattern. Some of the experimental Modernists are – poets T.S. Eliot and Ezra Pound with writers Virginia Woolf and James Joyce.
- Absurdity– The consequent World Wars took the lives of several English poets during World War I. Global capitalism was also making its influence across different levels. Life no longer became interesting, and the Modernist writers depicted such absurdity throughout their works. For example, “The Metamorphosis,” written by Franz Kafka, writes a story where a traveling salesman transforms into an insect-type creature.
- Symbolism– Modernist writers injected meaningful attributes into individuals, objects, locations, and incidents. They divided reality into various layers, most of which lay hidden as a code. The modernist period began to conceive poems as unsolved riddles. The Modernists made new use of symbolism in English literature. They brought open-ended narratives with the possibilities for multiple endings, like Ulysses, written by James Joyce.
- Formalism– The Modernist-period writers perceived most literature as craft work rather than creating opportunities. Their belief shifted from the traditional organic and internal process to developing poems and novels from minor portions. The “craft” concept of English literature moved the Modernists into introducing creative and original works. Their poems involved new words, foreign languages, and enriched vocabulary. Poet E.E. Cummings was one of them.
Now after covering the main features of Modern Age English Literature for your English homework to help you meet the deadlines, let’s understand the changes brought forth by the Restoration Period.
The Restoration Period
(From 1660 to 1700)
English history records the Restoration period from 1660 till 1700 when King Charles II regained his throne after returning from France. With the Puritans defeated and the restoration of English monarchism, the Puritan livelihood was rejected.
The result emerged a poetry style that followed John Dryden’s approach with reason, Realism, and moderation.
1. Disregarding religious, moral, and judgmental themes
In 1649, the Puritans defeated and beheaded Charles I while exiling his son Charles II to France. The Puritan rule involved strict social and moral codes. Nevertheless, with the experiences Charles II gained from France, he encouraged English poets to break through past ideological boundaries. He introduced reason, Realism, and moderation.
3. Introduction to moderation
The widespread influence of John Dryden’s work in Restoration poetry has earned this period the name – Age of Dryden. Like other Restoration poetry, John Dryden’s work was moderate, satirical, and realistic. His poems follow patterns of epic poetry, iambic pentameter lines, and heroic couplets. However, the emphasis on the precision or the financial use of words and language introduces moderation into restoration poetry.
3. Contributions of Realism
Realism and preciseness are the two remaining contributions of the Restoration period in English literature. The corruption that the writers witnessed in their society made them portray its vivid reality using appropriate words and language. In addition, the Elizabethan and Puritan approaches helped to emphasize Realism better. Realism focused on the style of how people spoke and wrote. Working on your English homework with helpfrom online websites can help you learn more about Realism.
5. Application of Reason
The earlier poetic approaches focused on different metaphysical concepts. But the Restoration period was influenced by various scientific advancements. As a result, it empowered society to solve problems with reason. Reading over Restoration poetry brings to light the various rational arguments that support this cause.
Now that we’ve cleared the Restoration Period let’s move on to understanding Romanticism. Let’s see how it has shaped English literature over the years.
Concepts of Romanticism
With the Restoration Period covered, let’s now learn about Romanticism and how it has influenced English literature. But, you must first work on your English Homework as it’ll help you understand Romanticism concepts.
The tenure of the Romantic Movement lasted from the late 18th century till the mid-19th century. Romanticism influenced how Americans and Europeans perceived arts, philosophy, music, and literature.
Romanticism focuses on strong self-perception and encourages imaginative potential. It aims to invest in Nature using quasi-religious and symbolic significance. The Romantic Movement is also responsible for opposing the mechanical influence of the Industrial Revolution in society.
According to Romanticism, the highest spiritual attribute of an individual is imagination. They believed that imagination was the gateway through which humans could connect with the divine and become more creative. Get help for religion assignment help .
People used different forms of literature, including poetry, to use their imagination and communicate with their divinity. It’s also noted that the use of different aural and visual aspects influences the imaginative powers of the reader.
Romantic writers perceived nature to be combined with divinity portraying natural elements like sunlight, stone, or flowers with attributes of God. Romanticism’s views transformed nature’s viewpoint and moved artists to use their subjective perceptions.
Now, let’s look at how modernism in English Literature took place.
Rise of Modernism
There were several factors influencing the rise of modernism that rejected Romantic ideas. First, the post-Industrial Revolution views – philosophy, politics, ideology, and science developed the Modern Age of English Literature.
Some of the layouts of modern poetry were –
- Disrupting the syntax while introducing stylistic experimentation.
- The Stream of Consciousness
- Theme of alienation where the depicted character roles can remain disconnected from the people or society.
- Placing focus on the imagery.
Students seeking help with their English homework should understand the stream of consciousness in modern-age English writing.
The writer follows a narrative approach portraying a person’s viewpoint. He places similar thought processes within the character through actions or monologues. For example, you can take T.S. Eliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.
Conclusion
Modern Age English Literature for your English Homework can help you to move a long way from the traditional approach. Romanticism and Modernism defy earlier approaches to English Literature and establish a new layout.