Varying Styles In Modernism

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During the twentieth century a new term came to be used in classifying literature and it was

called modernism. Modernism is not easily summoned up with one or two characteristics because, two

writers could have varying styles and still be modernist. T.S. Elliot and William Carlos Williams are a

perfect example of the varying styles in modernism. The reason these two may have differed from each

other so strongly could be related to their different backgrounds. With all the variations in style and in

topics written about how can modernism be summed up properly?

Written works during the twentieth century can not be summed up by simply looking at one or

two different characteristics. Modernism is, “ a term that more clearly suggest the lively disagreements,

multiplicity of styles, and plurality of movements within the broad revolution of the arts” ( Belasco,

Johnson 529). Modernism was the revolution of the arts that dealt with the current issues being faced in

the United States and Europe. Different poetic styles were experimented with including those from

east. The different poetic styles as well as the different issues faced, by the individual poets is easily

seen in their work. The only thing that the different poets could agree about was, “the necessity of

poetry, it's vital role in culture and society.” ( Belasco, Johnson 530). To sum up modernism is not an

easy task because of all their various differences in the movement, but at the same time that is also why

it is easy to explain. Modernism was the style that dealt with current social issues, allowed for new

ideals to be implemented, styles from different countries to be used, and to move away from old

exploi...

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...why he wrote in the manner that he did. The style Williams was trying to

push forward was probably never taught in the schools Elliot attended so, that also may have been a

contributing factor. Both of these men wanted to make poetry more important and they did accomplish

that, just in different ways.

Modernism was a style of writing that focused on many different things. Ultimately the goal

was to replaced old ideals with those that were new and relevant. Writers such as Williams and Elliot

did just that by writing in ways that broke from the norm and by doing so moved things forward. They

went about their work in different ways more then likely due to the influence of their pasts. Those this

may have caused them to have problems with each other it still allowed for poetry to become more

important in the twentieth century.

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