Modernist and war poetry

The word modern is usually associated with something which breaks away from tradition. However, it was not until the 1580s that modern officially came to mean pertaining to current time. In the words of Malcolm Bradbury and James McFarlane," If there is an argument about when Modernism began, and hence, implicitly, about what its causes and character are, then there is also one about whether it has yet ended. Most critics would like to see modernism as an early 20th century phenomenon, which was committed to renewing the arts through various kinds of experimentation and which was underway by the 1890s or early 1900s." As mentioned in the quoted statement, therefore, modernism is characterized by a renewal of the arts. Simultaneously, however, it was a radical shift from, rather than renewal of, the old mindsets and lifestyle.

Various socio-political factors altered the way of thinking and living of the people of the 20th century. One of them was The Great War, now known as the First World War, as it later intensified in to a Second World War. These wars became the major reasons for the recurrent portrayal of existential as well as spiritual crisis in the literature of the age.

Modernist poetry is characterized by its breaking away from not just the subject matter but also from the style of writing, use of tropes, symbolism, etc. One of the major shift was from the length of the poem. Literary trends like Imagism marked the composition of very short poems and yet being able to capture the image present in front of the poet. Following are some of the short modernist poems and the identification of modern metaphors and symbols:

1) Richard Aldington's Insouciance:

The 5 line poem's title means a lack of concern or indifference, in this case, war. Of course it justifies its title by juxtaposing trudging with a sense of cheerfulness. Though the life in the trenches is dreary, the poet composes poems which are 'delicate like flock of doves'. However, they fly away like white-winged doves. Thus, the indifference helps the poet to escape the dreary life of the trenches. The poet thus captures the life in and out of trenches. But the picture is rather a positive instead of a horrific picture during the time of war. Considering, the high sense of nationalism prevailing during the First World War, the war phenomenon is not so much linked with horrifying death scenes. It is rather a picture of sacrificing oneself for the sake of the nation's security. And therefore insouciance.

2) The Red Wheelbarrow by William Carlos Williams:

What actually depends upon a wheelbarrow? is the question which arises after reading these four lined Imagist composition. A fundamental answer would be the importance of the wheelbarrow in farming. But then what about the 'red wheelbarrow glazed with rain water' and the 'white chickens'? However, if we are aware about Imagism and its literary technique it becomes easy to comprehend that the poem is experimental and according to critics like John Hollander presents a good example of enjambment which makes it a 'meditative poem'.