Activity on Reading short Modern Poems

Activity on Reading short Modern Poems 

Modernism is a literary and cultural international movement which flourished in the first decades of the 20th century. Modernism is not term to which a single meaning can be ascribed. It may be applied both to the content and to the form of a work, or to either in isolation.

The term modernism encompasses the activities and output of those who felt the 'traditional' form of art, architecture, literature, religious faith, social organization and daily life were becoming outdated in the new economic, social and political condition.

10 very short Modernist Poem:

1.The Embankment by T.E Humble:

Once, in finesse of fiddles found I ecstasy,


In a flash of gold heels on the hard pavement.


Now see I


That warmth's the very stuff of poesy.


Oh, God, make small


The old star-eaten blanket of the sky'


That I may fold it round me and in comfort lie.


This poem deals with the theme of nostalgia. The poet presented with contrast between past and present.

Metaphors: Old star-eaten blanket, a flash of gold heels.


2. "Darkness" - Joseph Campbell
   
               Darkness
        I stop to watch a star shine
        in the boghole -
        A star no longer, but a silver
         ribbon of light.
        I look at it and pass on.

--Modernist poets are best known for going against the tradition. Here also we can see that poet is using ANTI-ARCHITYPAL IMAGE regarding stars in the sky. Star is something which we comment with positive energy, great source of light n power. But here poet takes it as -
        A star no longer, but a silver
         ribbon of light.



3 .Image :- Edward storer

By the title of this poem may be poet wanted to present image of modern age people. White color
presents positivity but here it seems in negative sense. Other metaphor are loneliness and drought.




4."In a station of the Metro" - Ezra Pound
     
  The apparition of these faces in the Crowd;
  Petals on a wet, black bough

Here “Metro” itself is a symbol of Modernism and the crowd represents the people. So here we can say that it represents the people who are living physically but mentally they all are dead because of their daily hasty schedule. “Bough” is a branch of a tree, and here he used “black bough” which means the dead branch of a tree (culture). Here society is a tree and branch is culture.


5. 'The Pool' - Hilda Doolittle

       Are you alive?
       I touch you
       You quiver trembling like a sea-fish
       I cover you with my net
       What are you- banded one?

-- Here I can read the sarcasm. Its about overpowering or colonising someone. First it was asked that are you alive or not. Very sarcastically, we can see that no. It is not alive. Because now it is there in the net of somebody. Fish after going in the net, cannot survive for longer.




6. "Insouciance" – Richard Aldington


In and out of the dreary trenches

Trudging cheerily under the stars

I make for myself little poems

Delicate as a flock of doves

They fly away like whitewinged

Doves.


In this poem, poet compares his poems with dove. Here the words like 'Trudging' and 'cheerily' gives contrasting meaning. These words give the image of life where we are doing many things unwillingly. Poems can not fly but here poet says he has made poems that can fly away like white winged doves. It looks he want to be free.



7. Morning at the Window - T. S. Eliot

  They are rattling breakfast plates in basement kitchens,

  And along the trampled edges of the street

  I am aware of the damp souls of housemaid

  Sprouting despondently at area gates.

  The brown waves of fog toss up to me

   Twisted faces from the bottom of the street,

  And tear from a passer-by with muddy skirts

An aimless smile that hovers in the air

 And vanishes along the level of the roofs.

                Here Eliot has presented the routine life of people who are totally detached with the nature and its morning beauty. And they are working mechanically without any excitement. The wind which gives pleasure is presented as an aimless smile of emotionless people.



8. The Red Wheelbarrow – William carol Williams

This poem is difficult to understand. But f we go on by words like Barrow(stones raised over a grave)
Glazed (showing no liveliness) chicken(young man); these words indicates a young man’s death.

9 . Anecdote of the jar:- Wallace stevens.

Here in this poem metaphor is jar. And poem is about the Tennessee( a state of the united states of
America)

10. I(a, :- E.E.Cummings )

A falling leaf is symbol of loneliness. The word ‘fall’ symbolized in any way. Fall means death, fall of
spirituality; fall word also presents the damage caused because of world war and its effect on
people.
Modernist literature is difficult to understand, it is absurd, there is hidden meaning, it becomes hard
to get the whole meaning of poem.




Thank you.........