The rejection of history

What is Modernism?• In very rough terms, Modernism is a far-reaching cultural,

artistic and political movement that developed in Europe in the late 19th century and which flourished all over the Western World during and especially after the First World War.

• Modernism was characterized by a systematic rejection of Victorian and Edwardian ideas, attitudes and beliefs.

• The Victorian age had been characterized by optimism and by a clear perception of a “world order” led by the powerful British Empire.

• The First World War caused such devastation, that the pervading mood of Modernism was one of pessimism and hopelessness. There was no longer an established “world order” and all conventions became questionable.

Modernism in the visual arts• In the visual arts, modernism attempted to break free from

figurative representation in favour of abstract forms and ideas.

• Modernism emphasised the return to the fundamental characteristics of art, away from tradition.

• Modern art is usually associated with the expression “art for art’s sake” that is an art that does not have a specific purpose or utilitarian value.

• Modern artists were Pablo Picasso, Wassily Kandinsky, Jackson Pollock and Piet Mondrain among many others.

Music• No art was left untouched by the wave of

modernism.• In music, there was a rejection of traditional

harmony and rhythm in favour of experimentation with pure sound.

• Music became atonal and complex, full of unexpected and bizarre variations.

• The influence of modernism can be seen in the music of Igor Stravinsky, Arnold Schoenberg and in Jazz musicians such as John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman.

Literature

• In literature, modernism is reflected in a rejection of traditional narrative structures and themes.

• The modernist writer is more concerned with the subconscious mind rather than with the development of a logical plot or series of events.

• Literature becomes increasingly experimental.• There is a move away from description and

rational exposition in favour of experimental techniques such as stream-of-consciousness.

Poetry• In poetry there is a conscious revolution against

traditional techniques and conventional themes.• Traditional metre is also challenged and rejected.• The modernist poets begin to experiment with themes

that are complex and symbolic.• Modern poetry becomes discordant and fragmentary.• There is no recognizable rhyme pattern.• There is variable line length.• There are unusual and often bizarre metaphors.• Modernist poetry tended to reflect the ugly and

hopeless world left in the ashes of the Great War.

Thomas Stearns Eliot(September 26, 1888 - January 4, 1965)

• T.S. Elliot was an American poet, dramatist, and literary critic.

• T.S. Eliot made his life and literary career in Great Britain.

• In 1922, the publication of The Waste Land became one of the principal examples of the new wave of poetry of the time. The Waste Land came to represent the disillusionment of the post-World War I generation.

Ezra Weston Loomis Pound(October 30, 1885 - November 1, 1972)

• Pound was a poet and critic who, along with T. S. Eliot, was one of the major figures of the modernist movement in early 20th century poetry. He was the driving force behind several modernist movements, notably Imagism and Vorticism.

• His best poetry is mostly found in his Cantos.

Picasso

Kandinsky

Pollock

Mondrain

Figurative or concrete art

Tradition