The 20th century can be separated into two distinct periods; one characterized by the modernism movement and the other by postmodernism. Some consider that postmodernism was a response to modernism and therefore consider them as two aspects of the same movement. The Modern Age in English Literature started from the beginning of the twentieth century, and it followed the Victorian Age. Modernism refers to cultural movements of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. It was about reforming movements in art, architecture, literature, music and applied arts. While the term postmodern literature is used to describe certain characteristics of post World War II literature. Postmodern literature …show more content…
This technique is most famously employed in the novel Ulysses, masterpiece of Irish author James Joyce. The modernists believed that modern life lacked certainty; the modernists generally suggested rather than asserted meaning in their works. The theme of a typical Modernist work is implied, not stated, forcing readers to draw their own conclusions. While Intertextuality was the popular technique used by the postmodernism. They believed in the concept of the universe in which individual works are not isolated creations. The relationship between one text and another or one text within the interwoven fabric of literary history. Critics point to this as an indication of postmodernism’s lack of originality and reliance on clichés. On of the best works which represented this technique is “Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote” by Jorge Luis Borges, with its references to Medieval romances. Another technique used by the postmodernists is Pastiche which means to combine, or "paste" together, multiple elements. It can be a combination of multiple genres to create a unique narrative or to comment on situations as William S. Burroughs uses science fiction. Fragmentation is also one of the important features of postmodern literature. Some postmodernists use temporal distortion, which is the use of a non-linear timeline. …show more content…
Each poet has his own style. One of the greatest figures in poetry of the modern period was William Butler Yeats. Another important figure in the second quarter of this century was T.S.Eliot, who was born in American and spent most of his life in England. He wrote about the damaged lives of people after the First World War He sees poetry and ceremony as forces that can give meaning to emptiness and confusion of the modern world. (Thornley.G.G et al 1998)
Modern drama deals with Realism, Absurdism etc. Some of famous Modern Playwrights are, Henric Ibsen, George Bernard Shaw, he was an Irish, and his plays were very new to the audience. This is due to the new view points of looking at the society which were presented in his plays. As well as he tried to focus on his theory of “Life force” in most of his works. Edward Albee, Aurther Miller etc. Among them Henric Ibsen considered as the Father of Modern Drama. Absurdism was the philosophical and literary doctrine that human beings live in essential isolation in a meaningless and irrational world. Also one of the prominent modern Playwrights is Samuel Beckett In his play waiting for godot which is a great example of the absurdity of life. The modernist form of prose began from the styles of writing popular in the mid-to-late 19th century. The nonsense books of Edward Lear and Lewis Carroll were one influence.