Modernist Poetry: Characteristics and T.S. Eliot's Legacy

Modernist vs. Contemporary Poetry

To clarify, not all contemporary poetry is considered "modern" in the sense of the Modernist literary movement. The Modernist poets, such as T.S. Eliot, tended to favor intellect over emotion and valued themes of alienation and isolation as reactions to the Romanticism of the previous literary era. For contemporary poetry, common trends include stream of consciousness, free verse, and the preference for suggestion or ambiguity of ideas.

Key Characteristics of Modernist Poetry

Disrupted Syntax

Modernist poetry often features disrupted syntax, which refers to irregular sentence structures.

Stream of Consciousness

In addition, many Modernist poems feature a stream of consciousness presentation in which the narrator presents thoughts as they come to mind, without strict regard for sequence or logic. Stream of consciousness mirrors the way the subconscious mind works and shows poets' increasing interest in psychology. An example from T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is the following:

"I grow old ... I grow old ...
I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.
Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach?"

In this poem, the narrator presents his thoughts in a jumbled fashion, similar to the way thoughts pop into our conscious mind from our subconscious. Thoughts about momentous subjects, such as aging, are combined with fleeting thoughts about whether the narrator should roll his pants or eat a peach.

Alienation and Isolation

Modernist poets also convey a sense of alienation from the world. As Eliot writes in "Prufrock":

"I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.
I do not think that they will sing to me."

The poet does not believe he can experience the wonders or delights of the world; instead, he is alienated and distanced from its experiences and marvels.

T.S. Eliot's Profound Impact on Modernism

Modernist poetry requires discussion of Thomas Stearns Eliot. Eliot had a profound impact on the development of Modernism, a literary movement flourishing from the late 19th to early 20th centuries.

Modernism, by definition, rejected sentimentality, subjectivity, and idealism, which were characteristic of the Romantic poets, thus serving as a reaction against Romantic poetry.

Eliot experimented with form and style. Prufrock and Other Observations (1917), his first publication, was Modernist in form and style. Ezra Pound, another influential Modernist poet, had a deep influence on Eliot’s poetic career.

The Landmark: T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land

The publication of his landmark literary work, The Waste Land, in 1922, is often considered the first fully Modernist poem of the 20th century. The Waste Land was a reflection of cultural sterility and barrenness in the modern world. In it, Eliot used myths and symbols to create parallels between the past and the present.