The ideas of Modernism and Postmodernism are essential developments in the perspective of 20th-century art and literature, significantly shaping the works of numerous writers, such as T.S. Eliot. Modernism is distinguished by its rejection of accepted forms and the focus on new techniques and approaches. The approach reflects a rapidly changing world because of industrialization, urbanization, and global conflict. Building as an answer to Modernism, postmodernism puts doubt on objectivity and absolute truth, expressing belief and disbelief. Among the most important figures of this age was T.S. Eliot who surmounted these enigmatic shifts, incorporating and answering their philosophies and styles in his poetry. The paper analyzes the concepts of Modernism and postmodernism and their manifestations in art and literature through three videos.
What is Modernity? (T.S. Eliot’s Context)
The subject of Eliot’s modernity context is the power of World War I on society and its appearance in his works through the use of psychoanalysis and subconscious investigation. It reflects the ambiguousness of Eliot’s attitude towards modernity, demonstrating his confusion regarding the consequences of modern development and challenges. The video continues to analyze Eliot’s criticism of the urban environment further and applauds the quest for personal relationships in the face of the insanity of modernity. The complexity in Eliot’s views arises from his highly sophisticated perception of modernity as a period of change but also of difficulties.
Other minor aspects concern how the urban landscape changed during Eliot’s time, pointing to the development of buildings and urban development, which gave rise to anxiety in people. Urbanization brought about a dirty lifestyle using coal and constructing train lines (Jeda,00:01:42). Eliot’s poems represent this shift, attacking modern urbanism and its influence on social relations. The paradox is also emphasized in Eliot’s work, where although cities are developing physically, there is no feeling of connection and heightened isolation between people.
The poetic meditations of Eliot linger on the complex connection between the fast-changing external world and the hidden world of the human mind. It depicts the dark cityscape of modernity that represents both the physical breakdown of society and the estrangement and isolation. The setting constitutes a backdrop against which the fears, weaknesses, and existential reflections of the characters are played out. Eliot’s poems also reflect the irony of growing physical closeness in cities with emotional distance and loneliness, which criticizes the essence of contemporary life. The changes occurring outside the world of people are definitely related to the inner conflict and fragmentation of the human condition in the modern era.
WTF? An Introduction to Modernism in Art and Literature
The video portrays Modernism as both a complex movement and one that is well-linked to cultural and historical factors. It starts by analyzing the word modern with a focus on the constantly changing nature of this word and personal understanding of it. The video continues to define Modernism as an identifiable phase of the artistic period, describing it as more than a current trend. It characterizes Modernism as various artistic movements, each with particular forms and matter, not as one unique movement. The diversity is demonstrated by the different artistic styles of Modernism, which indicates various manifestations and art techniques. One element that is touched upon is the Modernists’ conscious choice to move away from past styles of art and notions, representing a rupture with tradition. The video additionally highlights Modernists’ emphasis on the technique of art instead of the influence of traditional religion, reflecting an element in the art reform during this period.
The video then delves deeper into the theoretical foundations of Modernism and how it impacted various forms of art and values. It highlights the shared faith of Modernist artists in their power to create objective art, that which defeated the earlier pre-modern efforts, which were directed towards religious or royal ends. The faith sparked an age of radical formal innovation manifested in different styles of art, from design to literature. The video also explores political ideologies that cropped up during the Modern age, correlating the ‘isms’ in art with those in politics, like socialism and capitalism (Nicholas,00: 09:02). Modernism is accordingly portrayed as an artistic movement and a larger cultural and philosophical change. The change was a response to the social, technological, and political driving forces that spurred artists and intellectuals to reconsider their approach to art and culture. The outcome gave rise to the revolutionary character of Modernism.
Modernism has also left other elements or the basis for other movements like postmodernism. Modernism pushed the boundaries of art and thought but got into the same rut of thinking that modern innovations are better than traditions. One of the things that were harshly criticized is the result of the two world wars, such as modernity as an objective good. The effect led to a rethinking of the laws of Modernism and paved the way for postmodernism. The video presents Modernism as a significant but challenging period in cultural history. The stage altered the views of audiences towards art, culture, and politics and offered a good foundation for further artistic and intellectual debate.
Modernism vs. Postmodernism
The cultural phase of modernity is described as a period after the Middle Ages, with Early Modernity, marked by the Enlightenment of France, and Late Modernity that ended around 1968-1989 (The Living Philosophy,00:01:23). The video emphasizes modernity’s characteristics. They are the abolition of tradition, emphasis upon individualism, faith in progress, and the changeover from feudalism to capitalism. Other elements involve industrialization, secularization, the nation-state’s emergence, and public education. The attributes were molded by Enlightenment philosophers who generated ideas of freedom, equity, and brotherhood, hence resulting in a society guided by logic and hope.
The emergence of postmodernism in the second half of the twentieth century signals frustration with the failure of modernity’s pledges. The era was an acknowledgment of the limits attached to modernity’s optimism, especially in the face of social and political realities such as colonial atrocities and racial discrimination. Postmodernism brought a perspective of critique when it came to these grand narratives. Modernity had upheld their stories. It highlighted the existence of justice and equality and brought to the fore the previously silenced voices and experiences. The development represented a radical change from the principles of modernity. It indicates a more mocking and tolerant line of thought in considering and interpreting societal development and human experience.
The last section of the video addresses the ironic realization of modernity’s ideals in postmodernism, its skeptical relationship with science and progress, and the development of Metamodernism. Postmodernism, in contradiction to its rejection of modernity’s grand narratives and certainty, still implicitly accepted the fundamental concepts of liberty and equality. On the other hand, it refused an idealism of progress, giving rise to a more revolutionary and anarchic worldview. Metamodernism then evolved as the merging point, combining postmodernism’s complexity and irony with modernity’s progressiveness and the teeth-totality view to address the global modern-day issues. The development is pronounced as a historical era shift and a cultural and philosophical approximation to the cunning of Postmodernity and Metamodernism.
Conclusion
Analyzing Modernity and Postmodernity in the given video, it becomes possible to detect a significant cultural and philosophical change. It describes the passage from modernity’s age of idealism and belief in progress to Postmodernity’s critical, skeptical perspective on inclusivity and relativism. Metamodernism is then an attempt to resolve these opposing views, seeking a balanced perspective on the evolution of society. The evolution demonstrates the flow of human thought and culture and how each epoch’s ideals and criticisms determine another generation’s understanding of the world, only perpetuating the changing pattern of history.
References
Jeddle. (2022). What is Modernity? (T.S. Eliot’s Context). Www.youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgNEf_HfjZA&list=PL1Y6XYl2Nm1-deq5OGgFUA1gz2wXkbyRU
Nicholas, T. (2020). Modernism: WTF? An introduction to Modernism in art and literature [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_pywMFS8G0
The Living Philosophy. (2022). Modernism vs. Postmodernism. Www.youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMVjI3pcwcU
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