Episodes in Literary Cultures

‘Modernism’ refers to a range of literary texts, music, and other media that have changed and revolutionized the intellectual and cultural landscape at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. In all areas, traditional forms were replaced by new, innovative, and  experimental forms of cultural production. This happened in response to processes of industrialization, urbanization, and social challenges. Often, this progressive reinvention of the arts has been closely linked to the experience of the First World War and to revolutionary movements. In this course we will explore the different aspects of Modernism. A course reader will include French, German, Russian, Italian, and English texts.