Robert Frost wrote: “Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words”. In the 20th century, poetry changed considerably; it was influenced by the global changes in literature. It is reflective of its age, it is concerned by the problems of the average man and the lower classes of society, in politics, in psychology. It is rather intellectual because it originates in the mind of the poet and it addresses the reader. Poetry follows the trends of literature so that their periods correspond; modernism was followed by postmodernism or the contemporary era.
To begin with, the modernists tended to use free verse or prose and to favor intellect over emotion as a reaction to romanticism (of the previous era). Their poetry is often marked by diction and rhythm yet it is created thanks to non-metrical means. They took the liberty of varying the form of poetry to suit their topic. The new trend consisted in trying to find new forms of expression through diverse experimentations, the use of a new language and new methods of expression, the preference for suggestion or ambiguity of ideas. It is agreed that the most striking aspect in the 20th century poetry was the irregularity of form and style which differed from one poet to another.
Post-modern poetry reinforces the role of the poet and the role of the reader as the latter knows and can associate with the language. They are let to interpret the poem with the help of imagery. Moreover the poem is seen as a cultural artifact. Therefore we may say that modern poetry is seen as a private art form which contains the story of individual poets. They convey their own point of view influenced by the political and social context. After World War II, poets did not have the same hope and enthusiasm as before; therefore post-modernist poets showed a sense of helplessness and tiredness accompanied by a doubt about the existence of God.
In the contemporary era, which is often associated with the preceding period because there is no clear limit between both, we observe a move back towards traditional forms and an ever greater freedom of expression in the form and the content.
A trend : une tendance
Free verse : vers libre
Previous : précédent
Striking : frappant
An artifact : un objet ancien
To convey : transmettre
Helplessness : impuissance
