Romanticism vs. Modernism: Comparing Yeats and Wordsworth - Essay Sample

Introduction

There are various combinations of literary movements and significantly, each rebel against those that came before it. Romanticism and modernism are two instances of literary movements, and both have had a broad impact on the arts. The two stand in stark contrast and contrasting the two literary movements will enable one to observe language evolution, form, philosophy, and style. While giving attention to two works of poets, William Butler Yeats (Modernistic poet) and William Wordsworth (Romantic poet), the paper will bring an understanding of the similarities and differences between romantic and modern poems, which will be based on their styles, subject matter, and philosophy.

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Subject Matter- Romanticism is a form of literature with the overflow of powerful feeling which emphasizes the emotional and subjective side of human nature. Its movement took place from the late 18th century to the beginning of the reign of Queen Victoria (Wordsworth 24). Its development was in response to enlightenment ideals like politics, arts, idealized logic, and science. However, this was rejected and concentrated more on individualism, spiritual involvement, and emotions. After that, most artistic like Wordsworth started to define the ideal of Romanticism in their pieces. Romanticism acknowledges the beauty of nature, stressing on imagination and the natural world, and they evoke deep feelings through their colorful and elaborate artwork and architecture. On the other hand, modernism is poems that respond to Romanticism, and their focus is on the impact of science and technology in the community. They occupy the period between the end of the reign of Victoria and World War II (Yeats 216). Then, the harsh social conditions of industrialization and the horrors of World War I had confronted every individual in that era. As a result, romantic hallmarks of spirituality and idealized love were dismissed, leading to the prizing of realism over fantasies of Romanticism. Additionally, Modernist's poems defy traditional norms and replace them with humanistic values like machinery and technology.

Philosophies- Romanticism poems focus on the natural world, while modernist poems concentrate on technology and weapons and its detrimental effect on society. For instance, in Wordsworth's poems, the discussion is about the connection between humans and nature and its powerful capability of evoking deep emotions. On the other hand, Yeats's poetry, a modernist poet, highlight the negative impacts of war and industrialization but believe that the intelligence of man and ingenuity are the foundation of enlightenment. On the view of humankind, romanticists praise the common man irrespective of his failures and shortcomings and believe that raw human features are generally useful. Also, their heroes are viewed as outcasts, but their devotion and bravery are proven when they serve the greater good. On the other hand, modernists are skeptical of humankind and question the integrity, motive, and values of people. Their heroes struggle before making something for themselves. For instance, in Yeats's modernistic masterpiece, the death of the salesman shows how a person can be disillusioned and overwhelmed by society's expectations (270).

Attitude and beliefs- since romanticists are captivated by the natural world, their writings reflect on the underlying assumption in the supernatural. Most of their masterpieces give credit to a supreme being like God, who created the universe and established the humanity. However, they still see the natural world as having hardships, storms, sickness, and death. On the other hand, modernists have no trust in beliefs of religion and the supernatural, but they focus on the consciousness and willpower of humans.

Artistic plans-modernists acknowledges creativity, and in designing their artwork and architecture, they usually use scientific and technical processes. Yeats, in his abstract masterpieces, uses synthetic materials, geometric shapes, and metallic materials (13). Modernists also have an art deco plea and usually incorporate organic materials like natural stone in their art. On the other hand, romanticists are more exotic and ornate, and their artwork has a gothic appeal. Also, they add visual interest to their creations by using arches, sculptures, and decorative woodwork.

Hallmarks- Romantics poems and prose idealized in rural settings like in the case of Wordsworth (65), while modernist literature idealized distinctly in the urban environment. Irrespective of their education, the romantic writers applied universal art in sought to make their writing available to all readers. As a result, there was explosive popularity in the entertainment of romantic novels that caused a sensation. This was contrary to modernists as their literature was not accessible to everyone due to their dense allusions and linguistic investigates that were incomprehensible. While there were reputable conventions like linear plot and third-person narrator in the romantic writers, modernist writers focused on the non-linearity and consciousness narration. The romantics' artistry was based on traditional forms like the sonnet, but modernists had formless trials in free verse and sound poetry.

One of the accessible components of romantic poems is the use of exaggeration. Examples include the use of imagery of the subject's features to the lovely natural things. An example is where the bright face of a female subject is compared to dazzling stars. They believe in so doing; the subject would feel valued and more attracted to the author. In this regard, a more effective romantic poem is where the author makes crazy comparisons with incredible pleasant images. On the other hand, modern poetry uses realistic features to bring the audience to the reality of contemporary issues. A more convincing modern poem is that that uses factual data to elicit familiarity of the audience with its environment.

Although there might be some differences between romantic and modern poems, there are some similarities in both literary movements. Both romantic and modern poems had a global effect on the arts. Also, they had great roots in British literature. They not only rest on their essential artistic attributes movement like the narrative style but also in cultural and historical contexts. Both of the two literary movements were against enlightenment thinking that claimed that the world is a logically ordered whole. Both of them had a prediction that the world is not organized due to social, political, economic, and cultural difficulties. Due to this, they aimed to challenge the existing system in the hope of creating a new one that would fulfill all individuals as per their needs

Conclusion

The two literary movements, Romanticism and modernism poems, played a significant role in the paper. Through their similarities and differences, the paper was able to highlight key attributes of the two poems and how their movements were influenced. Although modernist literature is sometimes seen as a unique movement within British Literature, its movements combine the previous elements of Romanticism. Generally, the comparison in both literary movements depicted that artists are influenced by things that emerge in their time, including political, social, and economic problems hence shaping their thoughts in their arts.

Works Cited

Wordsworth, William. "I Travelled Among Unknown Men." Lyrical Ballads, and Other Poems, 1797–1800 (1799). https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45520/i-travelled-among-unknown-men

Yeats, William Butler, and George Sterling. The lake isle of Innisfree. Cuala Press, 1984 https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43281/the-lake-isle-of-innisfree