Wallace Stevens
- (1879 - 1955)
- Employed a complex vocabulary and a sound structure to his poetry.
- Viewed his poetry as a combination of imagination and reality.
- Abstractionist
- He was extremely elusive in his poetry; he didn't paraphrase and loved to lose himself in extravagant vocabulary.
- Used intricate stanza and rhyme patterns.
- Famous Quotes:
- "Poetry is not personal."
- "The purpose of poetry is to make life complete in itself."
- "Poetry must be irrational."
For a more detailed look on Wallace Stevens' poetical career, visit the following websites:
- Wallace Stevens Themes, Style, and Forms
- Wallace Stevens Biography
- Employed a complex vocabulary and a sound structure to his poetry.
- Viewed his poetry as a combination of imagination and reality.
- Abstractionist
- He was extremely elusive in his poetry; he didn't paraphrase and loved to lose himself in extravagant vocabulary.
- Used intricate stanza and rhyme patterns.
- Famous Quotes:
- "Poetry is not personal."
- "The purpose of poetry is to make life complete in itself."
- "Poetry must be irrational."
For a more detailed look on Wallace Stevens' poetical career, visit the following websites:
- Wallace Stevens Themes, Style, and Forms
- Wallace Stevens Biography
T.S. Eliot
- (1888 - 1965)
- Used form as the carrier of the meaning of his works.
- Rejected the formulaic style of the sweet and serene Romantic period.
- Favored fragmented free verse, utilizing urban imagery, decay and psychological anxiety.
- Greatest work - The Waste Land
- Largely influenced by the World Wars that took place during his career.
- Used myth to exemplify a disintegrating culture.
For more on T.S. Eliot and his influence during the Modernist Movement, visit the following website:
- T.S. Eliot and Modernism
For and amazing website on the characteristics of the Modernist Movement and how T.S. Eliot displayed those characteristics in his writing, visit the website below:
- Modernist T.S. Eliot
- Used form as the carrier of the meaning of his works.
- Rejected the formulaic style of the sweet and serene Romantic period.
- Favored fragmented free verse, utilizing urban imagery, decay and psychological anxiety.
- Greatest work - The Waste Land
- Largely influenced by the World Wars that took place during his career.
- Used myth to exemplify a disintegrating culture.
For more on T.S. Eliot and his influence during the Modernist Movement, visit the following website:
- T.S. Eliot and Modernism
For and amazing website on the characteristics of the Modernist Movement and how T.S. Eliot displayed those characteristics in his writing, visit the website below:
- Modernist T.S. Eliot
E.E. Cummings
- (1894 - 1962)
- Wrote about the relationship of the individual with the masses and the world.
- Poems were full of satire
- Poems still held on to some of the Romantic ideals, but he was influenced by modernists like Gertrude Stein and Ezra Pound.
- Relied on symbolism and allegory to create comparisons.
- Expressed the ideals of the individual
- Abandoned traditional techniques, forms, and styles to create his own unique style.
For more on E.E. Cummings and his history in the Modernist Movement, visit the following websites:
- E.E. Cummings Biography
- Cummings: Influence on Modernist Movement
For a video with a lecture and notes about the Modernist Movement, watch below:
- Wrote about the relationship of the individual with the masses and the world.
- Poems were full of satire
- Poems still held on to some of the Romantic ideals, but he was influenced by modernists like Gertrude Stein and Ezra Pound.
- Relied on symbolism and allegory to create comparisons.
- Expressed the ideals of the individual
- Abandoned traditional techniques, forms, and styles to create his own unique style.
For more on E.E. Cummings and his history in the Modernist Movement, visit the following websites:
- E.E. Cummings Biography
- Cummings: Influence on Modernist Movement
For a video with a lecture and notes about the Modernist Movement, watch below: