Surrealism and psychoanalysis in modernist poetry - Essay Example

Lecturer The connections between Surrealism and psychoanalysis in modernist poetry Introduction Modernist poetry explains poetry written majorly in North America and in Europe, in the period between the year 1890 and the year 1950, in the modernist literature group. The dates depend on various factors like nation of origin, the school involved, and biases of critics. However, critics argue that modernity has always been there, as young writers were always emerging. In addition, modernist poetry is said to have started during the French symbolist movement; while it ended during the Second World War. This paper, however, stresses that the modernist period is arbitrary; because poets like Maria Rilke (1875–1926) began in post Romantic period, through symbolist duration, and finally modern periods through literary advancements. Psychoanalysis involves a network of psychotherapeutic and psychological theories, originally explained by Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalysis has continuously expanded, revised and developed in many different directions. In psychoanalysis; there are many theoretical dimensions explaining the mental development of humans, hence this leads to many psychoanalysis treatments. Psychoanalysis is also used to refer to the study method of child development. Surrealism refers to cultural movement which began in the beginning of 1920s; the movement is best identified with its unique writings and artworks. Surrealism developed through the activities of Dada in the course of World War One, and Paris was the major venue for the movement (Perkins 111). After the 1920s the cultural movement went global, and further affected countries’ literature, visual arts, music, language and social theory. Psychoanalysis Psychoanalysis has certain tenets: development of a person is through early childhood events in addition to inherited aspects of personality; irrational motivations influence human experience, attitude and mannerisms; irrational motivations are unconscious; psychological resistance is a defense mechanism, which develops when motivations or drives are turned into awareness; conflicts involving the conscious and the unconscious manifests through emotional disturbance; and impacts of unconscious materials is minimized through transferring the material to the conscious mind through therapeutic actions. Freudian psychoanalysis involves a unique treatment where the analytic patient expresses verbally his dreams or thoughts, and thereafter the analyst introduces unconscious conflicts which leads to patient’s character problems; and interprets the problems so that the patient can have ideas of solving them (Steele 39). Through the study of conflicts psychoanalytic treatment explains hypothesis on how patients are unconsciously their worst enemies: how the unconscious stimulated action cause symptoms. Criticism of psychoanalysis has been noted from very many sources; an example is that psychoanalysis is part of pseudoscience; however psychoanalysis is an important factor in the field of psychiatry. Psychoanalytic theories are divided into several schools. Though different, all the schools stress the major influence of unconscious factors on the mental lives of people. Major effort has been undertaken to consolidate issues in conflicting theories, however, some conflicts still persist in syndrome causes and effective treatment methods (Perkins 90). Psychoanalytic ideas are currently stressed in the western culture particularly in areas of child care, cultural studies, mental health, literature and education. Topographic theory was explained by Freud; it explains that the mental process is classified into the systems conscious, the pre conscious, and the unconscious. The structural theory separates the psyche into id, ego and finally super ego. The id is the basic instincts at birth which is unconscious and also unorganized; and operates on the pleasure principle. The ego grows gradually and it links the id with realities of the world, hence reality principle. The super ego ensures that the judgmental and also reflective abilities develop. Ego psychology explains autonomous and independent metal functions like sensory perception. Surrealism The works of surrealist identify major features of surprise, unlikely juxtapositions and even non sequitur. The surrealists also see their work as a philosophical idea, with the works being artifacts first. Leader Andren Breton stressed that surrealism is first and foremost a revolutionary movement. During World War One, Andren Breton worked in a neurological hospital and applied psychoanalytical treatment on soldiers. In 1924, Bretton came up with the manifesto of surrealism, to guide the activities of their movement (Perkins 87). The manifesto for example explained the meaning of surrealism to the group members as; psychic automatism where a person expresses real functioning in the thought process. Immediately after the manifesto, the Surrealists produced a journal which was revolutionary and had reproductions of works on art. Bureau of Surrealist Research acted as the center where writers held discussions. World War Two created disturbance for writers and artist who were against Nazism or Fascism. This made many writers go to the United States of America; but most importantly at this time; the artist and writers in New York had Surrealist ideas, and many Americans converged with surrealists though with some reservations. Since the 1960s worldwide, artists and writers have combine surrealism with a 16th century method known as mischtechnik; to form Veristic Surrealism which was practiced by many followers (Pollock 21). In the 1980s surrealism again emerged in politics through an underground artistic movement called Orange Alternative; the movement used Surrealistic terminologies and symbols. Surrealistic art and writing remain popular in museums; Tate modern exhibited surrealistic materials in 2001, and it attracted more than 170,000 people (Wesling 39). The Surrealist impact has not only been felt in arts and literature but also in many other fields. Hence it leads to acts of unique revolts and liberal imagination. Surrealism is dynamic and dialectical in thought. Connections between Surrealism and psychoanalysis Through establishing art and life as the same drive, surrealism outlines the benefits of psychoanalysis at its beginning. Through providing opening to the unconscious, to psyche areas that can be accessed through other ways but not rational or conscious states, surrealism through psychoanalysis found a method of forming a creativity theory bound through mysteries due to unconscious desires. The effect of Freudianism on modernism has always been felt. Modernism created new response and sensibility to ideas like interconnectivity of art and life through knowing the automatic and also unconscious writing literature. Convergence of ideas among different writers shows that during the first decade surrealism was majorly a hysteria concept, while the second decade was dominated by majorly paranoia. Surrealist doctrine moved from praise of hysteria to guided paranoia; giving a big literary context to paranoid modernism. The paranoid style which modernisms develops during the 1930s moves through multiplying reality levels and asking the other question; and it is seen as enemy within and enemy without (Cuddon 271). The relationship of psychoanalysis and surrealism is part of history of psychoanalysis. Surrealists did for art and poetry was Freud did for psychoanalysis, symptoms and tongue slip. With surrealism, a work of art or poetry became less of an object or issue, but more of a question to be interpreted and answered. Surrealism encouraged meaning rather than barrier to issues. Analysis of Dance of the Macabre Mice in Poems of the Millennium Poems of the Millennium may be considered as the Century’ poetry book; and it explains global anthology with considerations on international or national movements that have changed our patterns of developing poetry or art as a way of changing our thinking or actions as humans. One poem studied in the anthology is the Dance of the Macabre Mice authored by Wallace Stevens. The poem strives to deliver an important message through a humorous style. The poem explains the sufferings faced by the poor during the duration between the end of the great depression and the beginning of the beginning of the Second World War. The oppressed or poor masses are neglected, but important people in America benefit from economic and political power. Conquerors get their way to power using the efforts of the neglected people; and they later consider them like mice, disgusting. Conclusion Modernism poetry started through breaking with the past, and making it new with aspects of cultures which are remote in space or time. Impersonality and also objectivity seemed to be important in modernist poetry. Modernism developed through aspects of lyrical expression which emphasis personal imagination, memories, emotions and culture of the poet. The modernists found it essential to change from personal to intellectual ideas and statements that poetry can poetry can make concerning world issues. The modern poet has the right to represent his rhythms in his mood and to study his progress. During the period after the Second World War, a new poet generation tried to remove the efforts of predecessors in objectivity and impersonality; in English literature, modernism ends with beginning of confessional poetry by poets who include Robert Lowell and Sylvia Plath. Works Cited Cuddon, J.A The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms. London: Penguin Books, 2007. Print. Perkins, David, A History of Modern Poetry: modernism and after Harvard Press, New Haven, 2000. Print. Pollock, Griselda, (Ed.) Psychoanalysis and the Image. Oxford: Blackwell, 2006. Print. Steele, Timothy, Missing Measures: modern poetry and the revolt against metre. Favettevill: University of Arlansas, 2007. Print. Wesling, Donald, the Chances of Rhyme: Devices and Modernity - UC Press E-Books, 2005. Print. Read More