Modernist poems analysis

Here I am sharing my opinions on following ten modernist poems.

1.) ‘The Embankment‘ - T. E. Hulme

Once, in finesse of fiddles found I ecstasy,

In a flash of gold heels on the hard pavement.

Now see I

That warmth’s the very stuff of poesy.

Oh, God, make small

The old star-eaten blanket of the sky,

That I may fold it round me and in comfort lie.

First, a short paraphrase of the poem: on London’s Embankment , a ‘fallen gentleman’ reflects on his past and how he found pleasure in worldly social activities and beautiful women – probably courtesans or prostitutes. The phrases like 'hard pavement’, ' star-eaten blanket' reflects the harshness of life seen by poet.

2.) "Darkness" - Joseph Campbell

Darkness

I stop to watch a star shine

in the boghole A

star no longer, but a silver

ribbon of light.

I look at it and pass on.

Poet says that Darkness is itself symbolic. 'Star' is a symbol of prosperity and brightness means that there was some goodness in civilization but now it's all dark. Star is something which we comment with positive energy, great source of light n power. But here poet takes it as A star no longer, but a silver ribbon of light.

3.) 'Image'-  Edward Storer

Forsaken lovers,

Burning to a chaste white moon

Upon strange Pyres of loneliness and

drought.

Forsaken lovers are portrayed here by poet. The lovers are aburning with this so called Victorian good thoughts and belife. Here, poet says that the lovers are being burned by white moon.

4.) "In a station of the Metro"- Ezra Pound

The apparition of these faces in the

Crowd;

Petals on a wet, black bough

Ezra Pound described Metro station and people who are on this station. She says that how we become puppets of feeling less life. It talks about the repetitive life of modern people like a living dead.

5.) 'The Pool' - Hilda Doolittle

Are you alive?

I touch you

You quiver trembling like a seafish

I cover you with my net

What are you banded one?

Here water is in pool it's not flowing which symbolises the rottenness of the civilization. Water in sea or in river has life but pool has not. Sometimes we do not understand our own feelings. First it was asked that are you alive or not. Very sarcastically, we can see that no. It is not alive. Because now it is there in the net of somebody. Fish after going in the net, cannot survive for longer.

6.) "Insouciance" – Richard Aldington

In and out of the dreary trenches

Trudging cheerily under the stars

I make for myself little poems

Delicate as a flock of doves

They fly away like whitewinged

Doves.

In this poem, poet compares his poems with dove. Here the words like 'Trudging' and 'cheerily' gives contrasting meaning. These words give the image of life where we are doing many things unwillingly. Poems can not fly but here poet says he has made poems that can fly away like white winged doves. It looks he want to be free.

7.) Morning at the Window- T. S. Eliot

They are rattling breakfast plates in basement kitchens,

And along the trampled edges of the street

I am aware of the damp souls of housemaid

Sprouting despondently at area gates.

The brown waves of fog toss up to me

Twisted faces from the bottom of the street,

And tear from a passerby with muddy skirts

An aimless smile that hovers in the air

And vanishes along the level of the roofs.

The whole poem has negative words. The word 'Rattling' means vibrating, shaking plates and 'Damp' means in low spirits from loss of hope or courage. The fog and twisted faces gives negative glimpse and an aimless smile suggests artificiality of Modern civilization. This poem gives images and symbols of the dead spirit in people.

8.) The Red Wheelbarrow- William Carlos Williams

so much depends

upon

a red wheel

barrow

glazed with rain

water

beside the white

chicken.

Poet has used many symbols here. The first line is colloquial and open in its invitation; the second line, the preposition “upon,” prepares the reader for the specifics to follow. The whole poem is symbolical.

9.) Anecdote of the Jar- Wallace Stevens

I placed a jar in Tennessee,

And round it was, upon a hill.

It made the slovenly wilderness

Surround that hill.

The wilderness rose up to it,

And sprawled around, no longer wild.

The jar was round upon the ground

And tall and of a port in air.

It took dominion everywhere.

The jar was gray and bare.

It did not give of bird or bush,

Like nothing else in Tennessee.

The poem is all about Jar. When we refer to the word 'Tennessee' it is connected with a state. It may be an open related to this place. Art may be more beautiful than nature but it can not be  creative as the nature.

10.) ‘l (a‘E. E. Cummings

l(a... (a leaf falls on loneliness)

l(a

le

af

fa

ll

s)

one

l

iness

Poet has beautifully captured the image of falling leaves in the poem.. The fragmentation of the word loneliness is especially significant, since it highlights the fact that that word contains the word one. So here poet compares fall of leaf with life of people.

Postcolonial movies review

Movie Review : The Reluctant Fundamentalist

During the discussion of post colonial study we have watched the film 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist' which was directed by Meera Nair. The film narrates the life of one Pakistani who is capable to work among American people but just being a Pakistani he suffered a lot and consider as a citizen of second world. His self respect was  vanished with his clothes. He become victim of situation and it's made great impact on him. An educated person is considered as terrorist who is actually a teacher but  he needs more security for him because other want to kill him and this security made his frame as terrorist. This movie is directed by Mira Niar and it is based on the novel with the same title written by Mohsin Hamid. The main theme of the movie is how Muslim's were disrespected after the attack of 9/11. Here the protagonist Changez Khan goes to America to earn money. He makes friend fall in love with American lady.But after the attack of 9/11,  his colleagues started misbehaving with him. We can see a postcolonial aspect here when the Muslims are disrespected by the Americans. So the movie is a very well depicted and arranged with different incidents. Overall it is a good depiction of Muslims conflict towards the Americans. So of course it is a worth to watch this movie.

Movie Review :  Midnight’s Children

 Midnight's children is the movie made from the novel with the same title which is written by Salman Rushdie. The movie deals with the political history like partition of India and Pakistan. Here with this writer adds his imagination by putting magic realism in this. In this movie,  we can see that two boys,  Saleem and Shiva born on the  independence night. All the children who got birth in midnight  of that night gets the power of telepathy. But here a Christian nurse named Marry changed  both children. So here we can see a postcolonial aspect by showing Christianity is superior over the Hindu and Muslim religion.

       Magic realism is really presented well here in this movie. Here,  Parvati saves first Saleem's life and then her child's life by magic. In this movie all characters are portrayed well specially Saleem,  Shiva and Parvati.  

    The film also talk about class of the people. Marry is just a nurse but she is motherly figure for protagonist. She  become the reason for suffering of Saleem and at the last she is introduced as mother just like English people believe that they have helped India in development. At the last three of them live like a family where Christian mother, Muslim father and Hindu son. It's seems like

                                " Dreams are lost in the melting pot"

    The movie is all about the conflict which Saleem  is doing again and again. The movie is good according to the literature aspects but its not for a fun or for all generations. Some movies have a different class to watch so it is one of them.