Modernist Poetry Analysis

Modernist poetry is the affirmed break from the traditional literary subjects, styles, etc., specifically the nineteenth century Romantics and symbolist precursors. The modernists valued the construction of the literacy styles they sought to transform. An example of these literacy subjects is compressed lyrics that would be used in a foreign verse. Additionally, modernist poetry had the ideals of being marked by free verses and symbolism that contained visual creations. Along with their ideals and values, modernist poets believed the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century poets had the ability to reinvent a language based on a variety of personal experiences.
In essence, Pablo Neruda’s poem “I’m Explaining A Few Things” and Pablo

“From then on fire/ gunpowder from then on/ and from then on blood./ Bandits with planes and Moors/ bandits with finger-rings and duchesses/ bandits with black friars spattering blessings/ came through the sky to kill children/ and the blood of children ran through the streets/ without fuss, like children’s blood” (Neruda 589). This line represents the collision between the wealthy, the aristocracy, and the Church to suppress the people of Madrid. The reason why it is historical is the term “Moors,” which is a term that refers to the early German invaders who bombed the Guernica village in April 1937. Furthermore, the last example from the poem is the lack of beauty. Neruda writes, “And you will ask: why doesn 't his poetry/ speak of dreams and leaves/ and the great volcanoes of his native land?/ Come and see the blood in the streets…” (Neruda 589). During the twentieth century, Neruda was exposing other poets who ignored the terror of the war. He notes that poets were writing about the beauty of life while Neruda saw

Notably, the bull has a deeper meaning than just an animal responding to death. “Guernica Meaning: Analysis & Interpretation of Painting by Pablo Picasso” from Legomenon writes, “Guernica can be classified as a "war painting," but the painting also features many symbols--including a bull, horse, and a man with a sword--that would fit well into traditional bullfighting art, much like Picasso 's own later art and sketches like Tauromaquia (1957).” In other words, the bull is the informal national symbol of Spain, and bullfighting is a tradition in the country. This activity links Guernica with a nationalistic meaning. Instead of illustrating a matador facing the crowd after slaughtering a bull, the bull impassively remains on the left side of the painting while the matador and his horse lay dead on the ground. In the entire framework, the other figures are faced towards the bull as it is a peaceful figure in the painting.
Furthermore, the surrealistic quality of Neruda and Picasso’s images produce vivid imagery relating to their own personal experiences. The poem and the painting venture into esoteric creations that allows the reader to have multiple interpretations on its meaning. Neruda and Picasso found inspiration from horrific situations that enabled them to enrich their work. The two balance their desire to have a direct, bare style that will attract an audience. Similarly, Neruda’s tone, varying length of stanzas, and half lines parallel Picasso’s painting by