1915-1945 *the golden age of American literature**radically different from traditional life -World War I -Roaring Twenties/ Jazz Age -Great Depression-World War II

*Period of questioning traditional values (role of religion questioned)*Period of disillusionment *Period of Fragmentation * Period of experimentation-subject and technique in visual & literal art -experiments with point of view

-short lived founder: Ezra Pound

*the 20th century doesn’t really start until The Great War(WWI) in 1914 -technology is booming -Y2K was suppose to happen in 2000 -Mayan Calendar says the world is going to end in 2012–gravitational pull–eclipses/planets will line up **DESPAIR

-music -art -literature (very dark and ominous)-theology(people’s belief in eternal things )

*read something and see a picture to go with it House = building, structure–doesn’t evoke a lot of emotion *denotative word Home= family, love, safe place, where the heart is, warmth, –emotional *connotative word- suggest other things, what people think/feel

1885-1972 *one of the most influential poets if this century *founder of Imagism * “image” is something that presents an intellectual and emotional complex in an instant of time-The Cantos

*one of the most respected poets of his day*modernist, seemingly illogical, abstract iconoclastic poetry had revolutionary impact*formulation= “objective correlative” poems:”The Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”, “The Hollow Men”. “The Waste land”

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1874-1946*developed an analogue to modern art

1896-1940*dazzling style, seductive glamour works:The Great Gatsby ,”Winter Dreams”

themes:The Dark Side of the American DreamReality versus Idealism

renaissance = new birth 1920’s – 1930’s (1922-1931)Concentration of artists, writers, musicians, visual artists in the Harlem community (black community writers)*jazz and blues influences focuses:- visions-economic and social inequality

1. *the great northern migration -post civil war -newly emancipated slaves had few options (share cropping ) – moved to the north with their families for better opportunities — industrial revolution – creates jobs 2. by 1900 there is an awakening that takes place that causes new-found pride in the black race – “The New Negro Movement” -education 3.

Harlem was a desirable community that was exclusively white. The community begins to transform with the immigration and becomes and exclusively black community Black artists, philosophers are drawn to Harlem creative energy

*Most of the poems have one of three focal points *Concentrate on racial issues 1. past -celebrate black heritage and the endurance in the face of hardship 2. present – lament racial discrimination 3.

future – look forward to equality *jazz is huge in Harlem *the city that never sleeps (very true during the 1920’s)

from Joplin, MO (frequently uses Harlem as a source of material) -many of his poems mimic the jazz rhythms and sounds poems:Mother to SonMe and the MuleCrossJuke Box Love SongThe Negro Speaks of RiversSong for a Dark Girl I, Too, Sing AmericaDream Variations

from Georgia poem:Beehive

born in LA, raised in CApoems:Southern MansionThe DaybreakersA Black Man Talks of Reaping

born and raised in Jamaica poems:If We Must DieAFTER THE WINTERTHE LYNCHING

from New York -sheltered life -classic poet in terms of form and subject matter poems:IncidentYet Do I MarvelFrom the Dark Tower For A Lady I Know