ROMANTICISM, MODERNISM, AND BEYOND: A REVIEW OF TRANSFORMATIVE LITERARY MOVEMENTS AND THEIR ENDURING INFLUENCE ON ENGLISH LITERATURE

Abstract

Literary trends such as Romanticism and Modernism, together with their derivatives, have largely shaped the development of English literature. When romanticism first emerged in the late 18th century, it avoided the rationalism of the Enlightenment in favor of passion, individuality, and nature. Modernism also experimented with narrative methods and even took up fragmentation in response to disenchantment in the early twentieth century. Postmodernism, feminist literature, and postcolonial literature have further explored themes of identity, power, and representation of society. This paper will seek to explore how Modernism, Romanticism, and its derivatives have shaped and contributed to English literature in the modern world. Since Romanticism through Modernism and even later, the literature and theoretical perspectives that are considered significant were examined qualitatively and juxtaposed.