Characteristics of Modernism in W.B Yeats poetry?
english poets between time of tennyson (* 1809)and generation of alfred noyes (*1880) had gentlemans' agreement poetry more rural scenes rather cityscapes (even though 1860's english society urban); more deal in traditional private emotions such love, disappointment, or grief political theory or historical commentary (even though period between 1860 , 1920 period of violent political upheavals); , language of poetry should elevated , cultured (even though late nineteenth century saw more scientific , technical vocabulary join ordinary english speech had happened @ time in history).
yeats (*1865) played same game else. poet of celtic twilight wrote poems countryside, or mythical heroes, or frustrated love - in suitably refined vocabulary , grammar.
then, sometime around 1916, yeats decided he'd had enough of it. began writing in ordinary speech rhythms, using ordinary vocabulary; started write life of city; , particularly started write savage realities of irish revolution (which began easter rising in 1916, , continued until ireland independent).
yeats quite decided didn't want write pretty poems anymore - wanted write realistic poems: poems urgent , uncluttered newspaper article.
wrote poem decision: "a coat".
see difference between traditional , modernist poem yeats, compare "he wishes cloths of heaven" (where disappointed lover whinges gracefully how sad is) "the second coming" (where yeats prophesies fascism both exhilaration , disaster europe).
characteristics of modernism in yeats include:
demotic language (not poetic language);
political subject matter (not ruritanian subjects);
ugliness , violence, these appropriate subject matter (no attempt make aesthetically pleasing in poeticised vision of loveliness).
i have researched stil confused! how yeats modernist poet? (esp. in later poetry)?
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