Essay on English Modernism

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Akhmetshina Leysana gr.1685 Essay What is the contribution of Modernism to English literature both in content and form? I believe, studying the works of English literature of XIX-XXth centuries, it is of a high importance to have a notion of what actually such a literary trend as modernism is, because it defined the development of English literature both in this, and subsequent periods. Furthermore, it can be quite an ordeal to read the modernist works without previous research on the trend. I am stating this basing on my own experience. When I first read T.S. Eliot’s “Preludes” I was confused and disoriented, to say the least. To be honest, I considered it a total nonsense impossible to perceive. But then I figured out that there are cases when it is necessary to know the prehistory of a work, a notion of the literary trend and sometimes even the biography of the author to get a clear idea of what is described in a piece of work. I wouldn’t confirm that I admire the modernist literature, however, from a point of view of analysis it is of a huge interest for us. Modernism appeared at the time of big events in the world, which changed the established reality (end of XIXth – mid-XXth centuries). Everything was being changed: literature, art, culture and the whole world. Thus, we can maintain that Modernism is a reaction to these changes. That’s why we have no doubts that it had a great impact on the English literature and is truly one of the most significant moments in its history. The word “modernism” implies something new, because it is rooted from a French one “moderne”, meaning “up-to-date, contemporary”. Indeed, Modernism brought about many innovations both in content, and form, including various experiments. Modernists even came up with the motto “Make it new”. First of all, in spite of being pessimists, modernists rejected the current stereotypes and
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