20th & 21st Century English Literature Overview

Modernist literature emerged as a response to the rapid societal changes, scientific advancements, and technological innovations of the early 20th century.

The focus on individual experience and alienation set modernist literature apart from the more traditional Victorian style.

Modernist writers experimented with new forms of expression, such as stream of consciousness and fragmented narratives.

Modernist literature often challenged traditional values and explored themes of social alienation and the complexities of modern life.

The rise of mass media like radio, television, and cinema created a new cultural landscape that influenced modernist literature.

The narrow focus on a highly educated audience for modernist literature led to accusations of elitism.

The shift from traditional narrative forms to lyrical, impressionistic writing reflected a desire to capture fleeting moments and subjective experience.

The poets of the 20th century embraced a sense of self-awareness and self-consciousness, acknowledging the constructed nature of both art and life.

A literary movement that emerged in the early 20th century, characterized by a focus on inner experiences, fragmented narratives, and stream-of-consciousness writing.

A recurring theme in Lawrence's novels, where sexuality is seen as a powerful force that can be both creative and destructive, depending on its nature.

Novels that document the decline of the upper-class social structure and the relationships within it.

A writing style that mirrors the flow of thoughts and feelings in the mind, often characterized by fragmented sentences and non-linear progression.

A novelist who explored the complexities of sexuality and the inner lives of his characters, using unconventional techniques to represent their thoughts and feelings.

A major figure in modern Irish short story writing, known for exploring Irish frustrations, aspirations, and missed opportunities.

A writing style that emphasizes the inner monologue of a character, often using a rambling and unconventional structure to explore a universe of ideas.

Joyce's novel 'Dubliners' and Beckett's 'More Pricks than Kicks' are examples of this genre.

A type of theatre where events and struggles of the state are portrayed, often exploring social issues and political conflicts.

Plays characterized by a lack of significant outward action, focusing instead on internal experiences, philosophical ideas, or psychological states.

A theatrical style that directly engages with political themes, often using plays as a platform for activism and social commentary.

The idea that distinct periods in British theatre, despite appearing to repeat cycles, ultimately lead to new and innovative approaches and forms.

A dramatic technique where the playwright interweaves the past, present, and future, blurring the lines between time and memory.

A theatrical theme exploring the idea that childhood experiences shape and influence an individual's future development.

A dramatic style characterized by a focus on unemployment, social deprivation, class division, and societal violence.

Plays that delve into universal mysteries, often exploring themes of magic, motivation, and the search for meaning.

This period saw the rise of a new consciousness in world politics due to the dawn of the atomic age, marking profound universal changes.

Writers like John Betjeman expressed a sense of nostalgia for a simpler time, highlighting themes of loss and emptiness in their works.

The works of poets like T.S. Eliot (Four Quartets) and W.H. Auden (The Age of Anxiety) reflect a profound concern with the passage of time and its impact on the human experience.

A group of British writers known as 'The Angry Young Men' emerged in the 1950s, challenging traditional literary norms and focusing on social issues.

A literary movement called 'The Movement' aimed to simplify poetry, emphasizing direct language, realistic themes and everyday experiences, moving away from the complexity of Modernism.

Philip Larkin, known for his realistic and unsentimental poetry, explored themes of death and change, often using traditional poetic forms but with a modern outlook.

Alun Lewis, Keith Douglas, and Sydney Keyes were poets killed during World War II, whose works reflected the war's impact on their generation.

These poets actively participated in and observed World War II, offering a direct perspective on the war's impact, unlike poets of World War I.

A type of poetry that focuses on everyday experiences and the paradoxes within seemingly mundane life, as seen in Henry Reed's "Naming Parts".

A literary movement that emphasizes individual experiences, personal emotions, and a focus on the 'I' as a voice.

A literary movement that often rejects traditional forms and embraces experimentation, objectivity, and a focus on the individual as a modern subject.

A type of poetry that explores social themes and comments on the superficial aspects of modern urban life, focusing on the 'I' and their experiences in contemporary society.

A poet who reflects both romantic and modernistic influences, emphasizing the individual voice while exploring the nuances of everyday life, particularly in his poem "Poetry of Departure."

A poet who is known for his distinctive ironic view of cultural difference and misunderstanding, often expressed through his poetry, which also displays a critical perspective.

A poet who is known for his more obscure and erudite work, and like Enright, is also a critic and academic, using poetry to express a philosophical worldview.

A poet known for his ongoing engagement with Romantic traditions, specifically in his work "The Age of Anxiety," which explores isolation and personal experiences in a post-war world.

Ted Hughes' poetry often portrays nature as indifferent towards humans, emphasizing harshness and pre-historic forces, contrasting with the more romanticized view of nature in writers like D.H. Lawrence.

Hughes uses a hawk as a metaphor for power and domination, highlighting the predator-prey relationship in the natural world. This depiction has been interpreted as a reflection of totalitarian tendencies.

Ted Hughes creates a sense of spiritual void and existential angst in his poetry, influenced by East European surrealists and reflecting the post-Holocaust world.

Ted Hughes' work is shaped by his international experiences and exposure to diverse cultures, evident in his mythmaking and poetic themes. He draws upon both English traditions and global perspectives.

Hughes' later poetry, like 'Crow', reinterprets creation myths through a violent and anarchic lens.

Ted Hughes' work reflects a blend of spirituality and practicality, evident in his works like 'The Spirit Level'. This duality contributes to his unique poetic voice.

Ted Hughes' poetry explores themes of universal healing and finding personal solutions to shared crises, drawing upon his Catholic background.

Despite rejecting the label 'British', Ted Hughes is a significant figure in English poetry, contributing to both local and global literary traditions. His personal experiences and universal themes resonate deeply with readers.