Modernist literature
The history of modernist literature can be traced to the late 19th century, however it reached its peak in Europe in the in the early 20th century. Modernist literature addressed aesthetic problems similar to those examined in other forms of modernist art such as painting and architecture (Ouhani 48). The main concern of modernist literature is the desire to change the order of literature by moving from the traditional modes of representation to new modes (Simmel 3). Modernist literature gave writers the freedom of experimentation and many modernist works contain non-linear narratives and free-flowing interior monologues that emphasize the experiences and emotions of the individual.
Characteristics of Modernist Literature
- Experimentation: Modernist writers experimented new writing techniques that broke the conventional rules of writing literature. They utilized absurdism, nonlinear narratives, and stream of consciousness in their works.
- Individualism: Modernist literature exalts the individual and focuses on the individual's relationship with the world.
- Free Verse: Many modernist poets rejected the traditional structure of writing poems and wrote in free verses instead, not completely focusing on consistent rhyme schemes and metrical patterns.
- Multiple Points of View: Many modernist writers wrote in the first person narrative from the perspectives of different characters to present unique viewpoints and add more depth to the story.
Notable Modernist Writers
Some of the most famous modernist writers include:
- Virginia Woolf
- T.S Eliot
- James Joyce
- Knut Hamsun
- Samuel Beckett
- William Faulkner
- Ernest Hemingway
Sources
Ouhani, Nasr-edine. "Aesthetics of Modernist Literature: A Stylistics Analysis of Three Texts from T.S. Eliot, S. Beckett and V. Woolf's Writings as Samples". International Journal of Language and Literary Studies, vol. 2, no 1, 2020, pp. 47-56.
Simmel, Georg. The Metropolis and Mental Life. 1903.