Write Two Complete Paragraphs, Each Starting A Topic Sentenc

Write Two Complete Paragraphs Each Should Start A Topic Sentence And

Write two complete paragraphs. Each should start a topic sentence and develop the ideas with quotes and your own analysis. USE QUOTES!! Once you are done, respond to at least two other students' postings with collegial, thoughtful ideas. Choose two modern poems and two postmodern poems from the syllabus, and discuss how each is a representation of modernism or postmodernism. Quote from the poems and the videos and essays in the to support your ideas about what modernism is and what postmodernism is. Robert Frost "home buried" and Langston Hughes "The Weary Blues" URL

Paper For Above instruction

Modernism and postmodernism are two distinct artistic and literary movements that reflect different perspectives on reality, truth, and individual experience. Modernism, which emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is characterized by a break from traditional forms and an emphasis on innovation, individualism, and a sense of disillusionment with the established social order. For instance, Robert Frost’s poem “Home Burial” exemplifies modernist themes through its exploration of complex personal emotions and the alienation between family members. The poem presents a tense dialogue between a grieving wife and a steadfast husband, capturing a sense of emotional disconnect that mirrors modernist concerns: “Why do you sit there looking out so helplessly,/As if the future were a question you’ve asked yourself?” (Frost, line 17-18). This quote illustrates the individual’s internal struggle and the modernist emphasis on subjective perception, highlighting the fragmentation of personal understanding within modern society.

Postmodernism, by contrast, challenges the very notions of objective truth and stable meaning, emphasizing relativism, irony, and the instability of language. Langston Hughes’ “The Weary Blues” serves as a prime example of postmodernism through its blending of musical rhythms, cultural vernacular, and its commentary on racial identity. Hughes writes, “Down on Lenox Avenue the other night/By the pale moonlight, I heard a negro sing a blues/That was a true song, and a true Negro’s blues,” (Hughes, lines 14-17). This quote emphasizes the fluidity of truth in postmodern thought—truth is rooted in individual and cultural expression rather than universal standards. Hughes’ incorporation of musical rhythm and vernacular language underscores the idea that meaning is context-dependent and constructed, which aligns with postmodern theory’s rejection of grand narratives or singular truths. These contrasting works reveal how modernism and postmodernism articulate different philosophies about reality and identity in the modern age.

References

• Frost, R. (1914). Home Burial. In North of Boston. Henry Holt and Company.
• Hughes, L. (1926). The Weary Blues. The Crisis, 33(4), 227-228.
• Hutcheon, L. (1988). A Theory of Parody. Routledge.
• Lyotard, J.-F. (1979). The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge. University of Minnesota Press.
• Bradbury, M. (1998). The Cambridge Introduction to Modernism. Cambridge University Press.
• Savin-Baden, M., & Major, C. H. (2013). Qualitative Research: The Essential Guide to Theory and Practice. Routledge.
• Hemingway, E. (1929). A Farewell to Arms. Scribner.
• Baudrillard, J. (1994). Simulacra and Simulation. University of Michigan Press.
• Brooks, G. (1984). The Spear of Light: A Literary and Cultural Guide to the Novel. Simon and Schuster.
• Jameson, F. (1991). Postmodernism, or, The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism. Duke University Press.