Art in the Modern World
Confusion or Understanding ...That All DependsModern art can either bring unity and coherence into a fragmented modern world by introducing something that other human institutions fail to do, or it can present tragedy and suffering in an unforgiving light, adding more confusion to the situation. Modernist writers like W.H. Auden seemed to try to uphold the idea that works of art can and should provide unity, coherence, and meaning. Yet, with the evolvement of modernism in the 1930s and 1940s, Dylan Thomas tended to present tragic situations in his poems, often giving way to more disjoint and uncertainty. As major figures in the progressive modernization of literature, both Auden and Thomas moved away from apparent objectivity, a theme once standardized by previous literary figures, and toward subjectivity. While other writers of the era conveyed modern ideas in form and style, such as William Faulkner's multiple narrators and stream-of-consciousness format displayed in The Sound and Fury, Thomas and Auden radiated modern thought through their ideas and subject matter. Both Thomas's "The Hunchback in the Park" and Auden's "Musee des Beaux Arts" send a clear message to the reader that art can exist in the modern world; howeve
In contrast, Auden's idea of art in the modern world surfaces as an attempt to bring unity and coherence into an otherwise fragmented, suffering modern world. However, even though Thomas hints at the hunchback's nighttime relief as an artist, overall the poem itself leaves the reader distraught. Certainly human suffering is not something about which one should joke, but Auden is not so much attempting to rouse laughter as he is trying to soften the blow. Though both poems reside in mild if not blatant modernism, the effect on the reader is entirely different. drinking water from the chained cup that the children filled with gravel. Each day nature teases him into thinking he can gain an unattainable freedom. In addition, once the sun sets he is able to transform himself from a figure of a derision and pity into a one of power and beauty - once again becoming an artist. (In fact, this attempt, to a certain extent, may offset Thomas's effect on the reader. He creates an imaginary woman in order to cope with his world.
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Acceptance Essays
