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    estudo sobre aspectos da modernidade, do autor Matei Calinescu, em que aborda temas como a vanguarda e o modernismo.

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    estudo sobre aspectos da modernidade, do autor Matei Calinescu, em que aborda temas como a vanguarda e o modernismo.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    14 views16 pages

    Five Faces of Modernity

    Uploaded by

    Guilherme Gonçalves
    estudo sobre aspectos da modernidade, do autor Matei Calinescu, em que aborda temas como a vanguarda e o modernismo.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    FIVE FACES OF MODERNITY —<— Modernism Avant-Garde Decadence Kitsch Postmodernism MATE! CALINESCU DUKE UNIVERSITY PRESS DURHAM 1987 For Adriane and Irina tbe time (hich ctl reason hs puri fal transcendent oF sacred meaning, engenders the utopia os adant ntunto ee tion that can suppress time by repeating olf endlesty—ae the ‘ental element new ad Bal tradition oo matter how anita ‘tonal conceived. Tn prin, wt fa practice, dhe moder arte ie both aesthetically and worly obliged to be war uf it ntradictony pit, ofthe at ht hisachievement of made {bound wot only to be inte und clative(icumscribed by what Becket cals the ouder ofthe esl’) but alo to perpetuate the pt hat ttre to negate and touppore the very nation ofthe ate that tiesto promot. Somme othe nla statents of modern td avant artists seem obo ein ct espe osc datarbinganace nen of Being svar nh of hcwnpatliies. The clash between the utopia cricom of the present and the antutpian criti af the fate rsves el ito variety of tubs tht wil be discussed st tore Keng the cpter del ing with the coneept of decadence LITERARY AND OTHER MODERNISMS “The hist ofthe wor “mere” hans that twas wot se fn Europe ur chewhere, before the Quarel between the Ancients andthe Mldesns ad veacea is elias, that I before the Bist Aecades of the eighteenth century. Is ot dic Yo understand why atthe height of the Bate of the Rooks, the sax fm Indeatve, among other things, of trations adherence othe prin ‘ples uf cult~vas ade tthe tern modern wot by the moderns themselves but by teaver The defenders fli tal tion were ths ale to sgaet tat the tite of the ers ws hase, tht thir la of beg superior to the ancients sontaned sn clement of dubious and Bally diqualing purtsinship. An Pare ee ae = «spresion of ttlleci contempt, “modern” was litle more ‘han atemiologal weapon inthe hands ofthe antinoders. Tn Ihe Dictionary of the Engh Language (1755). Sarl Jone, no Hts the word a 2 mgm vented by Swi, utes the Falowingpsewge from + Ieter to Pope "Serre send wx over thei rash in pose and verse, wth abominable cuvtanents sad ‘ait madras." In Si eye, mers was nothin bat Selfevilene example of the coruption of Eval by those dex oxy referred to "moderns" in The Tale of Tob (E700. 76 “To come acoss conscious attempts to rehabilitate "inoderalsin ‘cat least neutralize poli connotations we have to wal unt (he Lot decades of the nineteenth century. But ate hall se ven afler such attempts were nade, the lingering peje mean ing of the word could be brought to the surface gun as inthe condetnation of he heresy of mann” bythe Cathie church Jn OT. Withocssonal apes nto the semantics of disparagement the mition gained wider acceptance and legitimacy only afer the 1920s. Within the ighly controversial terminological nate ti” ofthe "ers" modernism” as rotons tecomer but certaily dhe concept with the mort deep-rooted polemical connolae thous, That Is why f€ took such considerable time for Ht to be vindicated "Theft to use the abel of “modern” approvingly to desig rate a hse contemporary movement of westhetle renovation vat ulin Dato the ahnowldged Founder of el modrnuin Inthe ily 1890. There nearly unanimous consent among ierary hi tortns of the Hispanic world thatthe bith of the movimiento ynderista in Lat Arras, aon other things, the sgn ‘ance ufadechration of cultural independence of South Amer, The apt of Dar’ nodemism clea Implied « dow ec ton of Spain's cltural authority. The rleshing, “"oderiing” French influence (combining the major potomante tens, pa rasan, decaent. and symbols) was eowsciouly and sitll Played of upuint the od retoia clchés that preva in the Spanish Merature ofthe tine, The new movement, wbich achieved ful sefanareness iv Dario, went quite quickly though its fst tentative stages te representatives, pert contemporaries of the French “decadent” Bite for abort while with the notion of decadence, then tok om the label of "symbolise hie hal be ‘sme popular in Frac after Morass 1896 Symbaict M then, finally, in the carly ISH, chow tr call themselves rmaerta. The caice of muderone ws felts oe beac ‘tana it posible fr the alerent othe new pete movement to 1 beyond the rather parochial uabble hi were characteristic of the contempiraneuus French Ierury scene Athugh Hint is often regarded x variant af French smb. it si that conttates peti mmaerm ‘old be nich more cerest All the major smuvative tends that mane the late nneteenl-century Bran Th ft stat the Bren trary Iie ofthe period was divided up it variety evliting schools, movements, a even sects Parnas.” deco,” "ypbelone i lls wane themes 2 "coe roma” ete.) wbich, intl separate entities fed reali what they atl hadi como, etwas smh ks dil to pesscve th Feceigs perspective, ad this was exactly what the morerttas sc ceed in doing, As faeignrs, even though some af them spent tena periods in France, they were detached from the eimate of soup tales and petty polemics that preva fn the Pas Intellectual Ie of the mumeat sad they were able to penetrate [beyond the mere appearances of dierence to gran the underlying spin of cade remation, which they promoted under the nae oernisne, Wis interesting to note ere hat French tery bistory isl, fainted with the detail of late ninetenth-eentary aesthetic polemics, as been unable or unwilling to Jeselop am hina ‘heretical concept compatable to the Hispanic maderiomo. This fascination with deta and miele wn pepe the esl of the belated tip of postivion in French brary soles! Suspicius af theo and theoretical instructs, positivism in histor ‘el dscipines has invariably lel the Kit of Mtr atoms eee eee eee ere eee ese eee eee eee ese EE eee ee that has characteried the bull of France's criti uncerstine for nore than a al century. tis tue that daring the last te decades Strong reaction again this ype of aconcepual eric bas ms ‘ested elf under the hielo la nowcelleeritiqu.” Bu this new crits, mostly structural and, a such, uninterested in history fas done practically nothing to replace the atomistic outlook of posi List ets with Broader andl moe frit historical hypotheses. Rubén Dario spoke of moderniomo as early s 1888, whe, Jn an atic published inthe Chilean Revita de Arte y Ler, he privet the maleroist quality of syle of the Mexian writer Riardo Cn teers (el absolute morning on Ta exprenton’)** His Best de scription ofmoeragne a movement (represented by “a small but teuimphant and proad group of writers snd poets fom Spanish Amerie dates from 1890.1 curs ina article ented “Fer rabado” apparently writen in Guatemala, and recounting Daro's ‘canter Lina with Ricardo Pala (1533-1919) Pan was nat 3 ‘modernist, bot his opensmindedness and cathoicty of tate, wich Dario highly commend, pent hi to understand the esp sce (new epi) tht moderne was consistently rooting both in prose and pacty ™ Three years later Dario once again employs the term modemiono ia the preface to Josis Hernindez Somecs's ook Mltorta de tes aioe del Gobierno Sarara (1885. Here the stthor of Azul recall that Modesto Barros, the Nicaraguan writer, fd teen one ofthe initiators of modern with hi translations from Thcophile Case (Waucie « Gautier y daba lar primeras rocines del modernism". But even belore Baris, Dri ges on {os "a great writer, Ricardo Contreras, had brought the good tilings, prescing the yorpel of French Iter." Tn 1894, in a review of Gomer Carrils Senzaciones de at, Dario Hereera conveys his perception of ef modernione, stressing the importance, indeed the exsentity, ofthe French example jmer Carll, we ae tld. "ike Ruben Dara, ike Guticres Ni- Jer lke Soto Hall, ike all hove who dik rom the Feendh oun fain, has heen able toad tothe sonorous mse ofthe Spanish he ‘incision, grace, clung the bllun tars of phrase and the at ticand exo rarities which abound in mudern Calc trare,°* Modernisn swath but the ssiniltion by Castilian pty ae tts that chartrie the best in prose of the exacting refine ‘modern Preach writing Mordernsmo,” used with increasing frequency’ pie sense, sas nat ng in veveaig ts latent negative connotitins—a Station the truditunalsts quicly tured t thei or adrantage The term became thelr most potent weapon agaist the modernists, a strategy 90 eflectve tater 1894 Dario himself sided the word. Inthe preice to BY canto errante (147), or Instance he spe without qualying it, ofthe snoviniento that he Ihad gelycatibated to iste tn “tn Ranantes ets pails ™ In the meantine, relleting the powerful reaction anst modes, the 1809 elton ofthe Dlsknare del lengua ‘xpwiala published by the Spanish Academy defined the term ‘excess alflacton forthe madern and ‘moderns as Blows ‘contempt fr the ancient, espckly tart and iterate." Neither the cause Fgh for under the banner of modernism nor the tion elf wa abandoned, lnwever Inthe chapter devote to the term moderniay (istors de un nombre") in bis ortant bok Broce histor del mornin (198), Max Henriques Urea sites two highly significant modernist pefesionso fh daring the vee heyday othe untnadens eacton, The Bist one cones rm the Latin Aseria Jone Banioe Ros wh in bi stay on an Dario 185) declared "Yo sy un modernist tanta” The second une, dating rw 190, svete on ofthe pretest aes of Continental Spanish erature, Ruin de Valle Incn Valle Inckin'stestinony’ ts interesting because i antiipte Iter te dene t consider moderna st junta literary school oF move ‘ent but ata larger phenomenon the expression of the spt ‘needs of awhole epoch The Spanish writer perceives moderns as a deeply berating illest have prefered o tre to erate for myself personal sts nsteud of looking far a ready-made ne by tiating the writers uf the sewententh centiy. ss his i ow ‘tosume a profesed deri: Looking ne in myslfand 10a ivr Ifin Meratue there exits something which could be "les meri, Wf certainly a trong desire for pevsonal org ty bersonaidad)."™ The term modernismo went on being used by Spanish-speaking soriters and erties, and by the mide ofthe next decade i ad Income less contaersal tat the sime tne less prise, so thst ina gue terri, 1899-1914 Manvel Macha could complain "word of purely common ogi, created ot of the astanshment the majority forthe test novelties, moderaisa means something Aierent to each person who utters e™ This lack ofan accepted “lfnition prompted the same author to noe that modernism, far from being «shoo, the complete and ute end of al sehaos"™ -Avdeswonstrited by the subsequent development ofthe concept in Hispanic entice, twas pecbly the import of enti ing ‘nodernism with prior school or marrowiy defined movement that conitated its base quay, namely, that of offering the oppor- tamity to account for a cvesty of whoo and individual insiatves by meas of a unitary yet Menble cea eategry Since the eats 19M, modoriamo har entablished self as a rmaorpesiod tern in Hispante econ Ido not intend here to fellow in ay detall the history of this cuncept im South America an Spanish criticism, The problem has been deal with by. among, thers, Ned J. Davison, wove book The Concept of Modernism in Hispanic Critic (1988 fers sol review of scholarship onthe Salbjct although I diagree with certain aspects af his analysis). [ter tying to delist the aren of estental ental "Consens" Davison groups the varius and sometimes sharply contadietory interpretations of Hispanic modernism into two broad categories tnder the headings: "Modernism as Aestheticsm” and “The Ep- chal View." This distinction present major dfialtes not as thetic an epochal phenomenon? but i acceptable a a work ing hypatesis nasty that, He Davison’, bas primarily didactic dnd expository purposes. One may, however, reproach Davion with having reduced the aesthetic interpretation of mers to a single author, Jaun Mariel, an moreover to ane who, a 8 ‘quash Marni, totally opponed tthe "Tetsism ol form,” which, {cording to hin, constitute he vse of walernism, even mane ‘Surprising is Davison allure tu point out he hela reasons Sor Marine’ polemical attitude toward dermis Probably the chapter on "Modernism at Aesthetic’ should have centered ‘rand the various forts ofl convionngeiteria or diferent ing tween the Latin American moderne (chaneteried, 3 fording to Pedro Salinas. by "aesthetic andl the search fr Testy" andthe Spanish Generation of 1858 (which assigned seth brauder ei and philosophical gual) Pero Salinas ie, express a hismportnt tile El probe ema def modernisna en Expo wn conflict entre don exit (0941), implies both arr Jown and ejection of moderns because of comopalitan aesthetic. Considered largely 4 fauhion, the spiro mederaino bad wotbing in common with the seriousness ofthe wil change and the comple intel patos oF the Generation of 1898. To make his point as clear as posible, Saint approvingly quotes Unamuna’s faditment of mere (eluded to the 1912 volume of polemical eras Contra este y ‘agulio: "Eternal letra | ad aot moder what tae for; not modernism, hich will antiquated ad roteque in ten years, when the fashion i gune."™ But can we actly rece ‘modernism toa passing fd, ant adveruris ut the begining the century attempted to do? Or, the contrary, should we ty to set ‘modernism ina broader perspective and, insteal fearing as 4 Spnish American or even Hispanic phenomenon, dncover i i part from the numerous distinctive feature, the cements by Which ss elated t other Westen cultures smiley engaged In {he adventure of meer? we consider the evolution of the concept of mera daring the ast three of four decades clea tha the second sterative ‘has proven more full. Salins's approach ha found some defen = ers or nstince, Guillermo DiaePlj in his Moderiomo frente a Inventay cho, 151) ad thee are sl erry historians who for ideclogie 06 other reasons prefer to deal with a sity limited sersion of modernimo. The oppuite trend, however, scems to Be prevaling. The most famous defender of the brow! interpretation (tes without doubt Jun Rapin Jive, whose notes for the course tm modernismo bel tthe Univers of Puerto Rison 155 were published ia 1962. This orientation ial represented, among thers, by Federico de Oni and by Jina’ editor and commer tats cua Gull Diveione del Modern, 1963, repeintord ‘nan enlarged eiton in 1971)" Afr all there i choice between 2 more o es parochial view of moderne (an Hispanic variant of French synbolione, both notin taken ia polvistally te iced sete) and a view according to which there would e no Substantial dilerences letween moderniono and what Anglo- “Amercin cia understands by “modernise “Te later view appears sno novelty if we think that, back in 1990, Isc Goldberg was aging in his Studies in Spanish Amer an Literature that moderisn “snot a phenomenon rested tO CCvilan and IberoAmerican writers ofthe late nineteenth anc trl twentieth century, but rather an aspect of pit that inn= Ait the word f Wester thought during that er.” And the sume “thor goes on 0 that modernism could not be characterized as sto” Likewise, he points ou tht the word “movement” would bi inadeguate because “it doesnot convey the dynam conception at the boom of modernism, which.» is the synthesis of sever movements, Inthe ater ence moderaiam, from baving a foure, his entered upon a continental phase which promises Tee tf anid sian esl "™ From the pint of view defended by Jiménez, Ons, oF Gall, the Spanish American madernim and the sealed Generation af Ninety: Eight ae related phenomen, ad Unum, who was hor tiled bythe term, appears atone of the most typically modernist Spints in the Hispunie worl, Tis dows not mean that these cites, in Latin Aster and Ignore the differences between moderns Spain. Onis does ot il to ates them in is ey "Sobre con cot del Moderne (1949 When rng the docile 184-180 the st gel spent ‘Seas in Span bated ur enmpared oo Aaa sad Ero ‘he irre ty prose hes athens td erga ar inter a nependet fom pens Ameria cre Hom Sad Sows rs eri or tdercy ad i days ent betwen So pr Spun ed corpse 1d the prt fog the gop betocen Spe Eo es mt lay Bol dep there ne 121 Ssaeepundnre beeen merce Sn Sp a Amerce™ tree ispanc modesnim, Onis contended i 1864, the tio this anthology of der pacry, was noting but the nie frm af the universal literary and spiril vss started around 1555. und manifesting tel i art, cence eligi, polite and sradally, in allotherapeets fli..." But the epochal” theory ‘of mecersten became both mre consent ad more complex only 1s a reaton to the view phusibly and pregantly expressed by Salinas In “El probtena del moderne.” trntely, Sls re Aleve great Service to the very cause he oppose he gave his potential adversaries a fertile topic for debate, aroused ther sl SSmaciouaner, amd funied them with what they bad been tnssing the opportunity for calling, In other words, he made 38 nue ou ofmaderninn. Ax Cullin ha suggested, Jee been (heoriat of moernisn by yf reat to Salis ard thowe thers who hid developed Salinas’ datinetion | between modernisoy ad the Coneraton of Ninety Right ato x downright ppesiton in his imieave Antologia de ta puede espaol ee paoumericana (1852-183), Fedricn de Oni fers perhaps the beat example of fw moderation can be applied sa vad pid Pm secs nece secre see sece seer aece scene EERE EEE EERE ERE REECE EEE ERE RETIRE EEE EERE RECEP concept Ace a the anthology table of contents i icin to ve san ide of what Onis understands by maderniome. The book {5 vided ito sx puts: "The Transition fom Romans to Modernism: 1882-1805" which flee selections fom the poet of such authors a Manuel Gutcres Nios, Jove Mart Jose Asunctn Silva, ete: 4 section devoted entirely to Ruben’ Dario. “The Triumph of Modernism: 1806-105," which consists of three Secs tion, the fist two being devoted respectively ta Peta espaol (Miguel de Unamuno, Franco Vilaspess, Manvel Macha, A Tonio Machado, Eduardo Marquina, Ramon Peres de Ayala and Rann del Valesnelin) and Poetar Americanos (Cuil Valen sla, Ricardo Juimes Freye, Leopoldo Lagones, Amado Nervo, te) a section devoted eatrely to Jan Raman Janene "Post tmadernismo: 1905-1914"—postinadernan, acorn to the a ther, being a conservative reaction within modernism itl, when the ater sete down ad becomes shetorical ke an terry reve Tution that has won out and "Ulramodeensmo: 19-1622, Which consis of two sections, each one of them observing the Aichotony between American and Spanish poets (1) “The Trans tio frm Modernist Traine” and 3) Ultratin.” Among the Spanish ulrasts we come acre such snportant nates ae Pedro Sains Jorge Gulley, Federico Garcia Loren, Rael albert, The representatives of American ula are Vicente Huidobr, César Vale, Joge Las Borges, Pablo Neruda, et As we can se. the restcted sense of medernino isnt negated but, being Inrdaced ina lrgerhtoral context, is actually enlarged and renewed on the very bss ofits orignal meaning. Clearly lraiersn 15 erent from (andl in ulest eery respect more extreme than) modernise, but this does not prechde the possiblity of seeing them both as manifestations ofthe same faterest jn moder, modernity whichis certunlychanging-—to the point that change constitutes its essence—and whic in anyone ts major aspects inradical contest to the stably of trait In thi sense. Ont is perfectly entitled to angie that ian error to disregard the ine soluble Kink between moderns and modernity: “Our ero 6 FIVE PACES OF MODERNITY in the implstion that there i difference be Onis conse, because Moder i esse tween Moderns and madera, Ahly, a those who yve st the mame reaied, the arch fr modernity." As we have sc cute, moderity always implies the wense ofan "antitadind tradi,” and this accounts fo, mong other thing mexernisn’s renewed capability of denying ise its vasons historical tealtons”—without losingts Ment Maernity—and modernism-—is 4 “tration agua ell” tr peat once again Octavio Pars previously qused formal ‘Student of the cncept of modernism i Hispanic eric, and tn prtclar thane who defend the bro “epochal” upproch to ave consistently stressed the pulls between the emergence ‘of madernomo iterate andthe sweeping thelogl debate on dri’ that snark the tur ofthe century inthe Bistory ofthe Roman Catholic church, The term “modernism” fist acquired ‘leary internatons!—though largely negaivesstats when it was tse in connection with the saeensing tendency that appeared within the Catholic wold, ssnfetng self mot sige in France, Germany, at aly. his tendency, which challenged some of the baie tenets of Catlin (probably the most crgureally eal ofall Christian churches), hs been tolerated if nt eo ‘souraged ring dhe Hal pratt of Lew XII, bt was actively oped ura oflly suppreea by Less conervalivestneesto, Phos Xt hindsight, i nt to ical to werstind why sch figures asthe ADE Afra Lay, Fririch von Hgeh, Ernesto Beonaiut, Grange Tyrell al thers, who believed in the posal ity asynhente of Catholic ard modernity sind tied oreconce Catholic tadton wth the conclusion of postive slence ad hi ona tv come ler lil stack. Their toric etiam, we des du Reirson ring sbat the, ila they pied thornugh revision of the concept of seperaturlsuthonty nd un ‘questionable hist! Topitincy, on which the whole of Cathie “ctr ws bated. So, the harsh condemnation af mderni” in September ‘he encyclical letterPascend dint gre ed eee ——————————E THE IDEA OF MODERNITY ” 1907) should not be considered an encoption tothe Vatican's phos phy; the exception had cceurzed inthe earlier ofa toleration ‘that wa going to be called "moderne Loky ar certainly eight when he claimed that yo autent de smodernimes que de modernists (a statement, ineidentally, hat pplies perfec to iterary moder a wll). Tis quite ear that the Pope's eneyelic letter was les than Bir when attempted to treate the nation that there was sich a thing a "unity Imodernist doctrine tht the fathul should reject globally. In theory, however, the eneycial was justified in pointing out the Incompatibility betwen Catholic tradition and modernity and i {@ trve that “there are ar many moderiams as there are deco ii eualy tue that modern exclading ay pee Aetermined unity af views among it adherents, has, neverteler, anidentity.allet an entirely negative oe. This entity is based on ‘ejection ofr, ase the cae with dhe Catbolle modes, at east {quetioning of wuthority in both lt theoreti and practi as We are nat interested herein either the exact history of the conteovery or the validity of on or the oer side's arguments, bat Sticly ta the tecnologia rategy adopted by the church, By Aefending the spat (and atemporal concept of religion against the broadly and varied temporal and rtica- historical eonceens of the "moder," the Pope and hieadsers were able o explo the stl very strong polemical consotatons uf the word “moderne” Interestingly the term bad not been employed bere fence very soradely in 1904 and 1905] the ofa language of he Boman Cathie church" 1H it because of the influence of the church that in Tey aedernn ha etsined argly pejorative meaning? Or should wwe lok fr the eplaation of this remarkable fact ebewhere—in the asacaton ofthe terns with certain superficial und basterous avant gare manifestations? For, when applied erature, the Tlan notion of modernone™ clearly tend to sugget the exer heap and verbose “wmodersoitry” of people ike Marinet and Some other futurists 1s probably with suc a ascaton in id {hat Renato Pogo n his Theory ofthe Avant Garde testo work coutuclear-ut opposition between oder” and what spears to bets grtenqoe ary, “aera stack toga the cn ah ety ane a Sept of ir mde ts eo mages a may be Serra tl the el eee nt the pt ad te eto 'i'e mn m thera whadu dened te die bat Ibori The angie tly by en der bata by he puta pe ener ich Syme to Manin kn nl ed he ete lo, Beeting ad pesca. The honest guess ne omy teape aul ales mers ba art ‘the ls ees of vas tne Posi view of oder” as an involuntary caricature” af adenity nay appear surprising to today's Anglo America st of Ieratre, Tor wen “wera” a acblarly label as legitimate at, 9, “arog” or “romatiit” (auxingly, when Ponaiolis book ws publishes in translation tn the United States, reviewers daregunded th. withors distaste far the nation dernism” and proposed that the reader simply understand ‘modernisin” whenever be somes dos the term “avant-garde. ‘When was “snoderniom’” ase Inthe Enaih-speaking wold in anvthing lose wo ts preset day hterary meaning? 1 acl fet even a pproxinute date, The OED tury out not to be very Fetal With the exception vi Swit’ alrealy mentioned “Latter fo Pipe.” all dhe examples foul under the heading of moderns are dew fom work writen dary the neteenth century, a in most of them the ordi ued asym Kr “meray” ina very general see (thir becomes clear when we comider such Dleases asthe meen of ts lnguage”ith referent The AnslSarou Clrvuiceor“iMksteting. the sist of moder eee cere cece eee ere eee cere ee eee geezer ere eee se eee eee isn”—with reference to the American Republic), More resent end more specialized dicionriee or literary eneyclopeiae—tuch as Joneph TShipley's Dctonary of World Litrary Ters"let the ord and sometimes ofr ueful definitions, but they al em en Interested in the question of when and how “modern” bees ne 1 specially Merry oe artiste non. This so perhaps boostce the use of "naernisn”in the Inguage of ets sq recent an nothing ore difcl to deal with than recent histery. Uncle the circumstances it seem safe to asume that io the English speaking counties the term "woderisn” acquired 4 distinctive rary sgiiance during the fst two decades of ur century For the historian ofthe notion of modernist tn an attic IMerary seme if may be noteworthy thit a sortlived Iitele imagine, calling self The Modernist A Monthly Magosine of Modern Arts and Leters, was published in 1919. The Bist sie CL 1. November 1919 lst among the contributors such anes George Bernard Shaw, Thedore Dreier Hart Crane, and Georges hain, bat the readers s00n appointed to elie tat none of ‘hese suitors had eflered the magavne anything previously unpub lished: The foreword to the fst ave maker st clear tht The Modernist alter al i more concerned wth polities than with itera tore orthe ats. In the alterna of World War, the program ofthe imagine is comaited to the cause of progresn, reveitiqnaty change and socialism. the erie ofthis afl conf the flit, James Waldo Feweet writes, “every tradition, every inke ied standard, has been tested: many laws have been destroyed many pretences have been abundoned.. In the sky of Russia ew star has speared, a star progressing westward, watched now by the poor and downtrodden of every land with shining, eager ‘eyes The very atmosphere i cloctic with impending ceva fom, revision and reconstruction inal the ars of Iie The pt dead Only the present reality. We dream ofthe fit, but we smay not see yet a wil tly be Much more interesting for the specflly Merary use ofthe rs FIVE PACKS OF MODERNITY term mavtnsm is Jo Crowe Ranson sateen on “The Future sf Poetry,” made in The Pug 1924 (Che Fugit: A Journal of Posty, aL IM, No 1, February 1926, pp. 2-4) Jn Crowe Ra som, who ater on wa terete the label of°New Citi” and to become one af the major representatives ofthis movement didnot attempt to define sdernism, ft some ofthe pats be made can help se how modernism was viewed inthe early 18205 by an outstanding member of an alvance Hera group. Ransom wes in"The Future of Poetry.” which may well be considered pte nist: “The ste geolly as ha o9 ae Moen bow shoul pon cape? Ad yet wha te Mr? te wa Se pay Iai te le espe They cme the fe dy he ert ising to daembura port ais tebe cba ea el Quite preictably, as Jo Crome Ransom goes ont plot ou gaat the ralesnen involved bythe seco of these prices The problem wast take acount ‘here cane a"oceping eatin, of the dual role of words In pty, and to conduct slg ‘quence with their meanings on the one had, atl to eaise an tljstve pattern wih ther deen the cer” Ransom wa cn Selous ofthe fc that the dials posed y such a ct pis ‘were insurmountable an were baud led to situation fess, Although the word “ern des not ocurinhisaticle, thsntion ‘clearly implied adits probably nore important or the unde Mandng of ann concep of modernism than theaters ‘hich he frmulites the mexern poets predicament eee eee eee reece eee ee secre essere sees sees Eee ess se eee ut we mere apt and dere yal. We rg nih he tnormos echlea llly fthe pt art and me ‘Sanne the meanings of pcm wth nore ae mane mesecoe Saas we cumin tho tt wr ait we trae the gro prose whch wis componed mtb! any hang oP ‘Mesa tiie, awe do ot bans ey aes theta whch the alfa ol gety, the we ale belo unon nner meant and objet fe Ove sn re tot nt nthe enor fl good ahs Foro tm ‘Shiga pale ul we ake llwenes = Maden ports oe eee oe nt lp he sine he ali of Mort yan each ‘demanded by the rte, tmpted stops The tient iy 1927, when Laura Riding and Nobert Graves publi thee collaborative Survey of Modornet Pcty, the term must ave estab lished itself as a meaningl—though sil largely controversial Ierary category. Character. Riding and Graves define ‘modernist poetry (a dist rt oder” poetry inthe neta honalogial sense) by its wlio deviation fom accepted poetic calito, by theater to "ee the oe of many ofthe tana Iatite which prevented i form achieving ite fl signa" Seen! om this point of view, the most oustanding featere of| ‘moderist” potty i the ically it presents tthe average rear. Their survey is to ge extent an ate! to expan the “anpopulartyof modernist poetry with the plain reader” le of the fourth chapter and to pint out the pecially aesthetic reasons for “the divorce of edeancel contemporary poetry [ali mine] from the common-eme standards af ordinary inteligenc." ‘Concerning the term “moderisn” il, Hiding and seem to take it for grnted and sw rest do not try to erat even ‘emote aptemtie definition, The main clement fr such a defn tion ate there, however, sil the reader can bring them together and work outa ily consistent concept of modernism ‘The bac ‘opposition betweun traitonal peteymoderast pote is stated fom the outset. Modernist petty ial characterized ws adeanced (the sophisieatons of wdvanced indernpocty.” “advanced eon temporary poetry”). Modernist poets Uke © ©, cummings, we are tld, are supported by “the presure of more advanced etal pinion The seventh chapter ofthe bok, "Modernist Poetry land Chilcation” brings new sad helpful terminological clare tions The authors distinguish between “enuine terns” ind the “vulgar meuning of denis.» (which ie moder-ness, a eepingup in puctey wih the pace of civation un tlletoa 1 ts "perverted sas” modernnm can bce a sor story fantteadionl “tyranny, ncrssng contemporary mannerisms a poetry. The sea of modernivn can be farther perverted, the Suthors go on to auy, by the existence of the middle clas fepresentiog the intelligent pla man pit of view.” “This idle population "the peop and advoate of lation nd the tes of eivilzation ab steady humm prowess dvs wot excl the iden of 4 modernist, hitorcallyFaward pooty. A possible rspricke iment ent, therefore. between thi idle population, ta whom Poetry fjuat one oft iany instruments of progress an tha type ralveritinguhich adverts sly ts histo Meontemporey pa ‘l progresiveneas But surely his fle modernism, Tre mrernism ist hier ‘cally but only aesthetically forward. False wudeenon, then, fe uci to Tath in history,” while gennine mde naing snore than “Eth inthe immeait, the nee doings of poems or oes poetry not neces derived frm history." But why fall suc a poetry “wadeenit? Riding and Graves ill give Satsfactry amower to thi Hasurtant question. The fact that the are cle (ned ell themselves) representatives of "new pact Inaernsts more than just ater friar preference eat the clo novelty «specie prs othe history af aera? eee sees eee eee gee eee aE eee tee eee eee eee = wt the “port” cred of ome oustanding modernists an ateade ard story and specially toward moder? Is not leruism'santitadtonlisn an sethetic manifestation of the ractrstclly madern urge for henge (a urge tat as Leen Uuotraly serve by the myth of progress but hat an ext ouséde tal somtimes even in dect opponition to that myth? The argu wt of aro’ etait wth eg to history i nconvine ig a8 1 the opinion of Riding and. Craves that the tex nevis at applied to the innovative tends the pace of he 1920s sje by tle more than a subjective preference: “There ‘indeed genuine rennin which is ota prt of modern fpoamne but air and personal manner and attude in he ct to hs work, and which ascept the denomination inaerast Ica prefers ito other denominations 1 Survey of Mouerit Pocry ws plied atte when the spirit of modernism war asserting tal with fl force in English and Anericanhtrature. Modernism had lady produced a highly sf ‘int bdy of work in both poetry ad pose although its reat ity was to continue a the same level of Intent and riches For tater two decades anne 38, however, top ea fora more Comprehensive crteal synthesis oF fra rita assesment ofthe concept of madernisen, The student of termiology shoul socom Sider another aspect of historical semantics that ay explain why the dlevelopment ofan independent notion of "noernisi” was rather ‘low in England andthe United States. This comparative ness “hos partly due to the evolution of modern” as buth an adjective tnd a noun, When modern” ceased to be a syoonyn for eontem- pry.” it became capable of performing the basic semantic Fenetions orange y the potently pejorative tr vulgar asians from which the Later tern Bad eed self nly very recently Thus large numberof aeathete theories, in Sighs and coe, which tauy we would wot hesitate to describe as imodernish” went om being formelated within the broader framework f the Hew of the moder” COMPARING THE MODERNS TO THE CONTEMPORARIES Daring the lst centey there bas Ben such an enrmos cree inthe ae the tons node” and indernisn the ater designating soscos ee 10 sod one sormatve carr ths ely eee ‘tn thd sss net ul pay hey fbn propos to lw ns tal the terminal Isto ofthe mane ies. ut ve bre scene fever Sandrtaen nd sci hey the area fe oa ints tht sat the esp fm shoal gre rom broader perspective the meat tern ent cent sccm t be the denny on fade amd entero ter" Such dveopnent mal hve bee fea pre sen an ect the tine o alae The author othe" ia went ing th ws moi terchngealy gh mot Siow showing lear pene "meter hl be Dict agus Se Ihave tet ug, ra sr Bandar + prviged seman spc, leas where opus coined ad where fra ecg tat, the posta we ‘eodere pn by whch wed changed ns nein chad Stange Boudelate wa undoubtedly ated by the bk of new ora on, wich wometines he sul we de teat of moder rogatoriy, at other times positively, ad whic he as ally able to fast inthe more comprehensive and highly orginal moll of imodernté. This tbe “moder” became the centeal non oa sesthetis that might be described a dete of temporality hing ingon the yotans uf peemancuce and npermanence) applet the ats. But Buudeire did ot establish ceur-eutditintion be fee “imedern” and “oonterporay.” Whew was thi dition eee eee eee eae eee Ree eae eae eee eee eee aeeeee eerie eeeeeeeeee eee = Vict used? We ae unable to fc a date, but seems resonable to tsuine that "inoder” and “contemporary” were not ft o be en ‘aly diferent before the early twentieth century, when the move. trent tht we call modersinm ad become uly self-conscious. Tis not surprising that "moder und "eontemporary” carte to Ine desymonymized. The process that is accountable for this i Terentation ot without some striking precedent f we think of ‘he evolution of athe major concepts af iim, Despite navoide ale exceptions, thove went bea general rte applying to iterary “i ast terms that ae employed, t some pot or thera alr ‘Santi career forthe purposes of perodiation (Welle and War- en eal thea pera ers and dears ome ofthe lg die ties implied in their usage!) ‘The genetic rule Ihave in indi thse the demonstrable ft that each one of these tris as three fundamental aspects af meaning, which are formed ina core sponding number of broally defined stages. The triple seman Strocture of most “period toms” Is quite eary to indiate: they tivoys imply a value judgment, postive r negative (or instance, tre may like o dike "baroque arto, more general, this that Srie us a baroque) they refer with move o les specifiy tow particular seinen of hstery, depending very mich onthe context nd the concerns ofthe wer they als desertbe type,” which nay thve been more neque ina certain bistrtl perod, bat an have hen iateated in her periods ax well ean we not attibute a oman” tram of ind to. contemporary att? and can we not dacs the "msderity” ofthe sevententh-century “metaphysical poet? Consderng ow the question of how these meanings wer {enerated (diferent in cach tidal case, ut sia when con feived in a broader histor outline), let briefly examine each of the tree phases, by means of which maybe posible to impose Some order on this tremens inte matter {1) To begin with, we noe thatthe most important period terms in se tray come fan the common Language, and, with respect to their origins they soem to be and actly are almost hopelessly heterogeneous: some af theon were sasiniated fm eli Latin in romani" ws devine (etasicus), sme coe fr mil fiom romance, desigating the vernacular languages oper by Western European peuples «distinguished fm Latin) some ther ‘were borrowed fram mode languages baroque” eignted from the Portuguese barcelona sed in the ech jangn Jewelers to designate «pel of tregulr shape) te The ony come rman feature ofsuch tet at this erly stage of thelr ch cman careers appeats to have be thet capacity fr lending themes Tgurative wees, combined with t tong ‘alae satcmentes ‘dusc” was orginally god word, apple to things that deserved to be admted: “baroque.” seventeeth-century France, def itely bal word reeeing wo certain a wines de trea laity and enageration; ete (2) During the second phase of their evolution, pera tenns undergo apres of storanton,” They are used creas is bur without sig ther original anton of period tru expressing chuces of ste. ta Franc, fr tntanc, the etm dasiqu,” a applied tothe vec author ofthe Seventeenth illwers, became strony and eighteenth centuries, and tothe ‘erative inthe langage the young mantis a these ie, fn academie ices, “Fommutque™ came tobe equated with “e dent” an as rege sting bel (2) iv time, the polemical poteatal of such terms becomes coded, and wth ths ert mor reaiitc appre becomes posable. In this phase, the meaning of already well-eabished Deva terms undergoes « proces of concept“ stematztin in the sense that she distinctive Features of the vais historical sivles are projected strat, and ths taken out om the hear and irevesble Now o isto tne. That hy we ean speak of romani." oF “brie.” ur ate, “meern” type tata bbe encountered n both chnaslgaly reste wind chvnolatally contiguous periods of histry. This posiility accounts forthe emergence fspecly in Germany, where Nietzsche's thew ofthe Apollonia: Dionysian conc wat to nfgential of bal vow of cultural history a a process expiouble through continually re tnewed elses between two recurrent and opposing type Te Pee eee eee eee eee ae eee eee ee eae eee Pee Eee ee eee eee eee eee tnerestng, rm on pot of view. hat he propsundes f fach fiat cveliomry scenes of ela hor oem mae se of term: prevent nloyed inthe Tague of pet Wala eis he to pips work ogo ultra Tir a urue” and “heres Carr and hi dhe Spee manner” ancl ths ines te iw EH thc dr the moderatt moverent sot the mes cent Stroman teat) Returning or mun of the meen concept hier rneumpinst, let now consider th sppiion bet ‘moder an cntompory” st exemple ns ig crea ext ten by rtignt nthe merit ete StenbenSpendors Soci of the Maer (5 Mle ai hatin wit at ref saree oan ne nw a Teal ld eyo we Sl rm ae Teeter Tu te nd a wai ml ey R Cae Sut eth hy Dee me ee owe ‘ifnovtontepen fens ay mate ee ie ele e's es oie Fs SBOE Ste Tey ad he Vaan Te She, a eh ni se an foes Peabo Pr aed coat te ie Van "ha the Creer Zinn erie pai neat ewer he see int hae heh eps ScFene po wonton the ml wwe weep ‘de oui een Spender oes on to say that while the contemporary’ scepls ct tuners) "the forces moving through the mera word iva tes of acence and progres." the modern "toads to see hile as a toleand hence in modern conditions conden asa whole." Although he accuse the continpais of ving partian”at tate they aren stb tevhtnay) Speers on oprah to maderaity (hgh she come wholeness op posed to contempt "fognenttior) i hardy an comple of ‘putty But opt lis sjcoy, Spender lat ot fast nthe quoted passages ut throng he entre bok i ‘ected tarde trctrl ler than a neey hoa don tthe moder. We ned ts with para on to tele that spre f, at easaarns osle ‘ermine the ner enon that wen on prion the cont myn the rome ot a alt to neta tat Speer mans by “conteperan” spec iy ron the ar ey td oe Be tind 19 the modrty ofr al ropes. the bogs imam. howe rips can be tuned even apa bears haps mot contenpurry ely es tines the modcenty ta pata the wen of Tea fd apices moderty haste wh oreng inet versie theft dca the nineteenth enay ie weve qustonble whether athe model hs eee Boos ‘spa tally sprating hel fom ts nterporny canta sna the plemictimfsethete madera seen nite {mpi oso mention tos ne hag ae ae Sith sense of Fastation stage) Lin of epee? A onthe other hs tote hed une any test daring the sf ctu, sw bate and prot watt thi tay the heap af st exten mates ofthe san tse madernity to th ‘moderafn and even the rade have gained “oii” recognition? "These ad other sina qustns wil be vase again and aga tn this tad, expecially in the chapters devoted othe concepts of the “want gure” aid “pustnaeruii,” where they will eeive lone attention. Fur the monet sal init ysl to alin ew more general observation In connection withthe enarhable he ‘omen of the taming ofthe seathte und subversive meray Pee eee see eee een eee eee aaa Eee Ree eee eee eee eee eee Eee = by the “contemporary” sii (in Spender’ sense). This taming is towhere so evident and so efctive us inthe teaching of mace trace “The incompiilties involved in the postion in which the elf comious praesir of madern ieratare Bads himself have been Aiseused in "On the Teaching of Modern Literature the thougheprovohing stay by Lionel Telling included i his volume Beyond Culture (1961) Inthe introductory part of the esa, TL ling recle the highly interesting sense given to the term "modern by Matthew Arnold inthe inaugural lecture eld at Ox ia 1857 an plied in 1967 in Macnlan' Mogae unde the tle "On the Modern Element in Literature” It night be instructive to think ‘the two perfectly contrasting uses made ofthe wordmodern” by toes perfect contemporaries Matthew Arnold and Baudelaire, A Cultural traiionalt fr whors the role of eligon was ob taken ‘ver by culture, Matthew Armol enlarged the cope of modernity’: concept to comprise whatever was extonally val and relevant the whole cultural hertiage of mankind. We may ad that he wa, light of his understanding of modernity at a period of univers syntheses of values, a fallow of Goethe partir Kind of tural ‘piano expressed in the idea of Wellteratar World Liters ture we tk into acount Aol fly idealist frame freer. fee ts nt bard to understand why he ould, a Tiling pt tne the word moder in a wholly honorific anae. So much 30, Indeed that he secs to mise ll temporal ides from the word Ae test sin cst eles tlle and ce iter A Society, be sud samara sockty when tmantineaconditon of repose, confidence rw acti ofthe mind, and tolerance of diver font vows 798 Clery, Amol ideal ofthe modern has nth: Ing to do with our vente of moderity a5 clare of rupture How: ver i's way-—and Tring should perhaps have made this pot ‘nore explic—the profesor of modern iterate putin the onic pition of "Aroldig” Hess and experiences that would have honed Arold Ie he mot supposed to establish, within the context ofthe moder, vats, preferences, ad, finaly, hierarchies of ‘alo? Inthe al anal, hes here o seve the “eomtemporay spint, which believes in prowess, eduction, perfectly, te adhe server tewen fle dos ot want to, bute the he ft of lecturing om mederity plies an “honor” and ignited eo the term “nodern "The proissor of madern Metta, howesee ‘has 2 right 10 fel ang when he discerns in his student response, a Tiling puts the scetion othe ante te acculturation of the anticalturl the leitinicaton the subs In sum, the Querelle des anton oder madernes hs been repliced by Quarrel between the moderos and the conten orate This unexpected suation another suagestive Ist tion of moderaty = 2 "trait against el” When meray comes to appose concepts without which would Dave heen cncuivable-concepts sich athe cde by Spender in is the “contemporary” (eson, progres cence) ene oes edition Simply pursuing its deepest wocatn, conta tion through rapture and ei THE IDEA OF THE AVANT-GARDE

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