Modernism In The Works Of Wallace Stevens And Modern Poetry

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“People can tell you to keep your mouth shut, but that doesn't stop you from having your own opinion.” (Frank, 1993). In the early 1900s, people were very serious about their art. Written art, painted art, and sculpted art were all at target for critics. But where would they world be if people never gave their true opinions? Wallace Stevens (1879-1955) went to college at Harvard University. He spent part of his life working for an insurance company and even became vice president of that company. By the time he started writing poetry, he was around forty-three. However, by that time it was clear that he specialized in imagery. Archibald MacLeish (1892-1982) was born in Illinois. Like Wallace Stevens, he did not start out as a poet. He began as a lawyer, but quickly dropped that. Through his life Archibald MacLeish had a mixture of modern and traditional poems. Marianne Moore started out as a journalist but quickly made her mark with writing. She was a modernist, but she had her own unique way with modernism. The three poets Wallace Stevens, Archibald MacLeish, and Marianne Moore had many differences and similarities.
Wallace Stevens, author of Modern Poetry, used imagery and precise language much more than other poets. Stevens was very interested in nature, much of his inspiration came from natural objects. For this reason, he became very philosophical and he liked to express this in his poetry. He loved to use his imagination in his poetry, which is why he uses so much imagery. “The actor is a metaphysician in the dark, twanging and instrument, twanging a wiry string that gives sounds passing through sudden righteousness.” (Wallace Stevens, Of Modern Poetry). In this excerpt, you can clearly imagine what is hap...

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...nceived patterns, syllabic patterns, and rhymes, which are unmistakably individualized.” (Price, 2011). Unlike the poets like
Stevens and MacLeish, Moore was much more into witty and precise poetry. Unlike MacLeish, she did enjoy the occasional rhyme and rhythm.
“If you hate difference, you'll be bored to death.” (Beta, 2010). All three poets, Wallace Stevens, Archibald MacLeish, and Marianne Moore are more different than similar. However, as Toba Beta says, it is much more interesting to be different than all the same. It is very interesting that all three of these poets were alive during the same time, but came up with such different works of art and each were considered successful. Here and there, you can find similarities within their writing, but these authors are all very different which is why their poems all have a different opinion of what right.

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