20P - Postmodern Poetry and Prose Lesson

Postmodernist literature has no rules or boundaries—which creates difficulty in assigning characteristics to the literary period in general. Postmodernists created the idea that literature no longer has to stick to any kind of form or structure like the literary periods of the past.

Nonetheless, Modernist and Postmodernist literature have many commonalities. Like Modernist literature, Postmodernist literature focuses on a person's inner state of consciousness and uses strategies such as fragmentation and stream of consciousness in order to mirror the goings on within the human mind.

However, Modernists want a resolution for the inner conflict within the human psyche and use the plot of the text to resolve the conflict. Postmodernists believe the inner conflict cannot be solved, so the only option is to enjoy the chaos; therefore, Postmodernist literature tends to be more playful regarding the questions and issues arising from the institutional and societal doubts and uses irony, satire, and various textual constructions to create playfulness within the plot and the structure.

Similarly, themes of Postmodernist literature vary. The Modernist themes of alienation and loss are no longer rampant, but the increase in technology and the paranoia surrounding technological advancements tend to play a greater role as a theme in Postmodernist literature.

Elements of Postmodern Literature

IRONY, PLAYFULNESS, AND BLACK HUMOR - treating serious subjects with humor or distance in order to make light of the “chaotic, meaningless world.”

PASTICHE - reinventing a past style by imitating another work, artist or period.

INTERTEXTUALITY - The shaping of a text based on another text, which invites reader to bring their experiences with life or other texts to the text in question in order to create meaning

FRAGMENTATION - The creation of a nonlinear plot or unreliable character that leaves the reader to make meaning of the text

TEMPORAL DISTORTION - A nonlinear timeline is used to jump forwards or backwards in time, to create fragmentation

METAFICTION - Writing about writing in order to show the fictionality of the piece 

FACTION - The blurring of fact and fiction - writing about real events but presenting them as fiction

Reading Assignment

Read and download the 20th Century Poetry and Prose packet. Links to an external site.

William Butler Yeats (1865 - 1939)

Yeats is actually categorized as a Modernist poet, but he paved the way for Postmodernist writers.   An Irish writer, Yeats was a fixture of London's literary scene and spent most of his life in England, but he was deeply connected to his Irish heritage. Yeats was fascinated by Irish folklore and mythology, supportive of the Irish independence movement, and later served as a Senator when Ireland became a free state. As an artist he is best known for his poetry. In fact, William Butler Yeats won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1923.

"Easter 1916"

On Easter in 1916 a group of Irish revolutionaries attempted to forcefully take over the city of Dublin from the English. While they were able to control several British buildings, the revolt ultimately failed. The group's leaders were executed by firing squad. Yeats opposed the use of violence in the fight for Irish independence, but supported the overall cause of independence.

Read "Easter 1916." When reading the poem "Easter 1916", attempt to spot the mixed emotions that Yeats has towards some of the men he eulogizes.

"The Second Coming"

Yeats' poem "The Second Coming" is among the most widely discussed British modernist poems. "The Second Coming" is often analyzed in concert with Yeats' prose work Visions. In Visions, Yeats describes his theory of history. Yeats believed that history was cyclical, moving back and forth between two opposing ends. On one end was order and on the other end is chaos.

Read "The Second Coming."

Remember the cyclical view Yeats held when reading "The Second Coming". Try to determine if Yeats suggests that the world is moving towards order or chaos and note the images that leads to Yeats opinion.

T.S. Eliot (1888 - 1965)

T.S. Eliot is often considered the most important poet writing in English during the 20th century. Eliot was born in the United States and attended Harvard University but was considered an English writer due to his British citizenship.  In 1914 he moved to England and became a British citizen at age 39. He is the author of one of the most important poems of the 20^th century: The Waste Land. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1948.

The Waste Land (1922)

The Waste Land is a long poem that marks the transition between Modernism and Postmodernism. The poem includes stream of consciousness and fragmentation, but the elements of Postmodernist literature—including the rapid changes in speaker, time, and content—reveals a Postmodern classification and demonstrates the transition into Postmodernism.  

The gloomy poem has five sections that employ different characters and themes. Eliot also employs many literary and cultural allusions, so even though The Waste Land loosely follows the legend of the Holy Grail, the true meaning of the poem remains obscure due to the fragmentation in content.  

Read The Waste Land. 

J.G. Ballard (1930 - 2009)

J.G. Ballard (James Graham Ballard) was an English writer who crafted novels, short stories, and essays. He remains known for his major role in growing the science fiction genre with his post-apocalyptic novels. His works are thematically and stylistically unusual—so much so that the term "Ballardian" appears in the dictionary and means "resembling or suggestive of the condition described in J.G. Ballard's novels and stories, especially dystopian modernist, bleak man-made landscapes and the psychological effects of technological, social, or environmental developments".

The Drowned World (1962 )

Ballard's novel is set in London in the year 2145. The novel's main character, Dr. Robert Kerans, works to analyze the destruction of the environment that is leading to the end of the world. However, true to Postmodernist literature, Kerans is not saddened by the end of the world—he is enthralled by the chaos and reality of the world ending.

Read Chapter 1 of The Drowned World.

 When reading, note the post-apocalyptic elements and themes of the dangers of technology that denote Postmodernist literature in the excerpt.

"The Dying Fall" (1996)

"The Dying Fall" is a short story published in 1996 and is not a widely known piece by Ballard. Similar to other Postmodern works, the story contains clear elements of fragmentation and "Ballardian" concepts as the narrator reveals the cracks in his marriage and his perception of the collapse of the Tower of Pisa during a trip overseas with his wife.

Read an excerpt from "The Dying Fall."

In this text, notice how the psychological elements at play in the narrator's mind affect his decisions while attempting to determine if the narrator is actually reliable.

Now that you have read the texts by Ballard, practice your comprehension of his literature:

Doris Lessing

Doris Lessing remains one of Britain's premier writers. Born in Iran (formerly Persia) to British parents, Lessing experienced a turbulent childhood.  Her father was a veteran of World War I and was traumatized by his experiences in battle. Her mother was strict and authoritative and enrolled Lessing at a convent school where she dropped out at the age of thirteen. Lessing has described her years growing up as being a mix of "some pleasure and much pain." 

Because she believes that writers have a moral obligation to challenge hypocrisy and discrimination in society, Lessing crusaded against injustices during her long literary career; she has sought to improve the plight of women, of minorities, and all of those who have been aggrieved by society.  Her efforts to highlight cultural conflict, gender equality, and racism have worked to reform attitudes toward social responsibility. Doris Lessing was the recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2007. 

Fable" (1959) and "Oh Cherry Trees You Are too White For My Heart" (1959)

Although she is known more for her novels than her poetry, Doris Lessing wrote one collection of poetry titled Fourteen Poems in 1959. According to her agent, Lessing was not confident in her ability to craft poetry, so much of her poetic influence remains unknown.

Read the poems by Doris Lessing.

While reading the two poems by Doris Lessing, notice the freedom in poetic form and structure that represents Postmodernist literature. Similarly, try to note the themes and deeper meanings of the two poems. Analyze how Lessing's poems highlight the changes brought about by contemporary society and how she explores the inner consciousness of the human mind.

20^th Century Postmodernism Literary Analysis Timed Writing Quiz

Now that you understand the prose and poetry of the Postmodern time period, the Literary Analysis Timed Writing Quiz will assess the ability to fully analyze literature. Students will not know the prompt of the work of literature for the quiz until opening the quiz. Once a student begins a quiz, he or she cannot start over, so make sure to only open the 20^th Century Postmodernism Literary Analysis Quiz after becoming familiar with the literature in the lesson. Similarly, read through the instructions below in order to earn the highest possible grade on the Literary Analysis Timed Writing Quiz. The GaVS Formal English Essay rubric will be used to grade the Timed Writing.

Literary Analysis Timed Writing Process:

1. Do not open the quiz until ready to analyze and complete the Timed Writing—you will not see the prompt until beginning the quiz and will need to both brainstorm and write an analysis of the poem in the allotted time
2. Read thoroughly through the prompt to make sure the essay topic is clear
3. Once the writing is edited, submit the final writing as the quiz