What are the Features of the Modern Age? 

Modernism (1901-39) was a cultural and literary movement that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It represented a break from traditional forms of writing and art. It embraces new ways of thinking and expression. Modernism comes as a response to the rapid changes in society, including industrialization, war, and the loss of traditional values. Here are points that explain the main features of Modernism in literature.

The Note will cover the following questions:

• What is meant by modernism? What are the literary features of the modern age? 
• Or, What is meant by modernism? What are the literary trends/features of the modern age/drama/ novel/Poetry/ literature? 
• Or, Write an illustrative note on the chief trends of modern English poetry, showing its abundance and variety. 

Rejection of Tradition: One of the key features of Modernism is the rejection of traditional forms and structures. Modernist writers and artists often broke away from conventional narratives and styles. For example, in T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land, the poet uses fragmented sentences and multiple voices to reflect the chaotic nature of the modern world. Eliot writes, 

These fragments I have shored against my ruins.

This shows that the old ways of understanding the world no longer work.

Stream of Consciousness: Modernist literature often employs a technique called “stream of consciousness.” This style attempts to capture the flow of thoughts and feelings in the human mind. Virginia Woolf and James Joyce are famous for using this technique. In Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, the reader is taken into the mind of the character Clarissa. It experiences her thoughts as they happen. This method creates a more personal and intimate connection with the character.

Alienation and Isolation: Feelings of alienation and isolation are common themes in Modernist literature. The rapid changes in society often make people feel disconnected from others and from themselves. In Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, the main character, Gregor Samsa, turns into a giant insect and becomes isolated from his family and society. The novella starts with this famous opening line:

One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin.

This transformation symbolizes the deep alienation that many people felt during the modern age. 

Pessimism and Disillusionment: Many Modernist works express a sense of pessimism and disillusionment with the world. The horrors of World War I and the rapid pace of change left many people feeling that the world was broken. This is evident in the works of poets like W.B. Yeats, who in his poem The Second Coming writes, 

Things fall apart; the center cannot hold.

This line captures the sense of despair and chaos that was common in Modernist literature.

Use of Blank Verse and Free Verse: Modernist poets liked to use blank verse and free verse. Blank verse, which has no rhyme but a regular meter, and free verse, which lacks both rhyme and consistent meter. These forms allowed poets to write in a way that felt more natural, like regular speech. In T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land, free verse is used to show the confusion and brokenness of the modern world. Eliot writes, 

April is the cruellest month,

The poem begins with a line that feels unexpected and free. It sets the tone for the rest of the poem.

Fragmentation: Fragmentation means breaking things into small pieces. Modernist writers used this to show how life felt broken and confusing. Instead of telling a clear story, they used bits and pieces to create a picture of the world. In T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land, the poem jumps from one image or voice to another. Eliot writes, 

A heap of broken images, where the sun beats,

This shows how the poem is made up of scattered, disconnected parts, just like the modern world.

Modernism was a time of big changes in how people wrote and thought. Writers and artists wanted to show the new, often confusing, ways of life in their work. By breaking away from old traditions, they created a fresh and powerful way of expressing the world around them.