Modernism
Part I
Ernest Hemingway uses the river in his story to symbolize certaintyin that Nick counts on the river whenever he needs comfort. In Part Iof the Big Two-Hearted River story, Nick seems to be precisethat the river will always remain in the same place even if thingssuch the town of Seney is burnt or the trout disappears (Hemingway17). I think the river here represents hope and restoration aftereverything else undergoes change. In his poem entitled BuffaloBill defunct, E. E. Cummings uses Buffalo Bill as a symbol of allthe things we desire, for example, being handsome, full of life andaccomplished. Buffalo Bill Cody came from the American West and wasfamous with the ‘Wild West’ show that premiered on TV at the endof the nineteenth century. Cummings refers to him to show how eventhe most beautiful and talented people can die. Another symbol inliterature is the dryness, which is a state that symbolizes lack oflife since there is no water. Dryness is evident in the poem, HollowMen by T.S. Eliot, and it is clear that the poem was set in a dryland due to the presence of cacti.
Part II
I think Hemingway is an author that uses war to illustrate the pastevents as most modernist story tellers will do. In other words,Hemingway is a typical modern man who uses the theme of modernism toshow the aftermaths of war after the city of Seney was burnt to theground (Hemingway 14). T.S. Eliot adopts the modernist poetry styles,for example the poem, Hollow Men, is written in a free verseand experimental style, with notable shifts in perspectives and thevoice. Here the modern man is seen as that person who seeks toexpress himself in writing rather than following the old formats usedin literature.
Part III
I used Study.com to get a deeper understanding of E.E. Cummings’poem, Buffalo Bill defunct about the theme of modernism.Study.com is vital source since it gives the story about the life ofCummings and links the same to the poem. The source revealed to methat the modernism is illustrated in English literature mainlythrough composing free verse poems that are easy to understand.Study.com is a good source for preliminary research because it givesan overview of Cummings’ poetry but, it is not suitable foracademic use since it requires one to create an account. The sourceoffers free online lessons in texts and videos and hence it appearsthat the information is constantly reviewed and edited making thewebsite unreliable for research.
Works Cited
Hemingway, Ernest. The Big Two-Hearted River: Short Story.Montreal, Canada: HarperCollins, 2014. Print.