Modernism and Dylan Thomas

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Recommended: Beginning of the Victorian era

The early to mid 1900s was a time of great and rapid change, known as Modernism. The period demonstrated drastic deviations in “viewing and interacting with the world” (“Modernism”-Literature Periods and Movements). This cultural movement exhibited the breaking away from Victorian morals. Some of the Victorian morals that Modernism rejected were the belief in a single way at viewing the world, the idea that every person has a certain role in life, and the division of society into groups: “civilized” and “savage”. Since Modernistic outlooks on society tended to be realistic, the view of culture was very pessimistic in comparison to the more positive nineteenth-century view (“Modernism and the Modern Novel”). This change insinuated many new values that were once ignored. Experimentation and individualism became respected and desirable, while before these were considered improper (“Modernism”- Literature Periods and Movements). Many writers from this era, called Modernists, were experimenting with their writing by coming up with new ways to explain their thoughts, which made them different from preexisting authors. Dylan Thomas is an example of a Modernist who clearly shows Modernistic characteristics in his work by breaking away from traditional Victorian era proprieties. Unlike many authors predating his time, Dylan Thomas evoked his audiences’ emotions through his lyrical prose, expressing “birth and death, fear, grief, joy and beauty” (“History of Art”). In “Fern Hill”, Thomas typified distinctive characteristics of the Modern era, such as unique writing style, the use of specific images that immortalize youth and time, and the effects of WWII.
Modernists of this time introduced new writing styles that had yet to be seen in w...

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...ory of Art: Masterpieces of World Literature-Dylan Thomas. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2014.
Miller, Tyrus. “An Overview of “Fern Hill”.” Poetry for Students. Detroit: Gale. Literature Resource Center. Web. 9 Feb. 2014.
"Modernism." Gale Student Resources in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2011. Student Resources in Context. Web. 9 Feb. 2014
"Modernism." - Literature Periods & Movements. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Feb. 2014.
"Modernism and the Modern Novel." Modernism and the Modern Novel. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2014.
"Modernism." Modernism. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2014.
"Redvinylchair." Redvinylchair. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2014.
"Stream of Consciousness." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2014.
Thomas, Dylan. "Fern Hill." Deaths and Entrances. London: J.M. Dent & Sons, 1946. N. pag. Print.
“World Biography.” Dylan Thomas Biography. N.p., n.d. Wen. 31 Jan. 2014

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