Introduction:

What do you understand by the term Modern Poetry? What are its chief characteristics? Choose a poem by a modern poet and explain what do you think are ‘modern’ features in it?

Introduction:

Many have sincerely felt that in the 20th century no great poetry has been written. As a critic has put it, there have been many poetic persons in the 20th century, but no poets. At the beginning of the new century at least there was no poet of any stature.

After the death of Tennyson it seems that English poetry had died with him till 20th century. According to the critics of the early 20th charm of the English poetry was over and only foolishness, way word and obscurity were seen in this poetry. Thoughts of the critics were misplaced modern poetry is full of rich thought in style and diction related to age. The fact is that in the modern age there is no dearth of great poets and poem it seems remain evergreen forever.

Characteristic:

Realism:

The searching realism of modern poets often brings them face to face with repulsive facts which would have scandalised a goody- goody Victorian. But our poets handle them most daringly. Prostitution war slum-dwellers and other such “unpoetic” themes find adequate treatment in modern poetry. Our century has witnessed two terrible holocausts in the two global wars. The terror ugliness and brutality of war became a major theme in the poetry of “the war poets” like Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen who themselves fought as soldiers.

Same are poets, such as Rupert Brooke, however seem to have loved war as a test of their braveness and patriotism and they treated in their poetry accordingly.

Religion and Mysticism:
Religion and mysticism also find a place in work of some poets of the 20th century. Coventry pat more and Frances Thompson who wrote religious poetry towards the end of the preceding century.

In the poetry of the Jesuit Gerard Manley Hopkins, too. We have something religious now and then. Ralph Hudson’s The song of Honour is not a notable poem pulsating with religious felling. Even in the poetry of such poets as Yeats there are mystical strains.

Representation:

“Poetry is of imitative nature, it is merely a copy of copy”

Aristotle’s theory of imitation is as famous as mimesis. He makes imitation the aesthetic faculty, the aesthetic meaning imitation is representation of natural object.

Aristotle’s artist sits before the carpenters table in brooding consideration of its form and those tries to coax the form on his canvass. This interpretation of the artist’s imitation of the idea raised the status of the artist in the exalted sphere of philosophy.

According to Aristotle it does not mean that an artist makes a true copy of the world of reality; but means the he imitates nature and presents an imaginative reconstruction of life.

In the same way new poets imitates their poetry with new. Ideas and imaginations of old poet’s ideas and imaginations. Thus they give the new birth of poetry with their some new ideas by the thought of old poets and will get good credit. They represent the poetry by the mythology, dialogues, history, proverbs etc.