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How Does Ts Eliot Use Of Modernism

Decent Essays

The dictionary definition of modernism is “a style or movement in the arts that aims to break with classical and traditional forms.” In T.S Eliot’s Four Quartets two of the poem’s, Burnt Norton and The Dry Salvages embody the defining characteristics of modernism. Two of the main themes in the group of poem’s are man and the natural world around him, and existence in life. While these poems’ are complex and hard to follow, Eliot’s use of modernism is captured and related to social elements of the 20th century western world. In Burnt Norton, Eliot stresses the need to focus on the present and less on their own goals. He supports this idea with the reference to the natural world and how it doesn’t stop or go or revolve around any of the things we as humans strive to accomplish. For example, in lines 19-22, …show more content…

Through the first gate,
Into our first world, shall we follow
The deception of the thrush? Into our first world.”
The main significance of this is the bird is giving the message that humans need to stop focusing so much on their thoughts and should rely more on only their immediate five senses. The chirping of the bird can simply be interpreted as chirping, as the author states, but instead we look for something that it could mean and complicate the simplicity of it. In this poem, “they” is constantly referred to, although it is never stated who “they” is. This could stand for the need to turn to nature instead of looking for something that isn’t there. Towards the end of the first section of the poem, the bird refers to “them” as children playing in the leaves.
“Go, said the bird, for the leaves were full of children,
Hidden excitedly, containing

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