Literary movements can, sometimes, seem a nebulous concept. While it’s usually easy to categorize books into genre or historical period, literary movements can be harder to define. While genre and period are a part, members of literary movements may also share preferences for particular styles, have common values, or adopt similar approaches to their work.
However, whether authors self-identify as a member of a moment, or it’s suggested in retrospect, the fact is that all writers, to some degree, represent an evolution of those that have come before. Understanding literary movements unlocks an understanding of the evolution of literature, and can bring a deeper appreciation of the poetry and books you read or study.
Identifying literary movements
Very often, you won’t have to do any work to identify a literary movement, someone will have done it for you. Sometimes that’s the author themselves, but more frequently critics and academics will have categorized an author and their work. This is not always the case, lesser-known authors, for example, may not have been considered. Modern authors may be part of movements that are still developing. And some may defy any categorization, or even spark valid debate about the movement they are part of.
The best place to start is with the author. Typically, authors of the same movement were active around the same time, and frequently in the same region or even city. Indeed, that shared experience is often a key contributor to a movement’s ethos.
Look for things like themes that are common in their work. Or styles and techniques that are common. Again, different movements will tend to have different approaches to how they tell a story.
But also, be aware not just of differences between movements and also the differences within those movements. An author or poet might be part of a literary movement, while not necessarily sharing every characteristic with other members.
Referencing the wider context
There is often a strong interplay between a literary movement and the historical and political context in which it emerges. These can sometimes be fairly loose, so although the Beats may have referenced a generation’s political alienation, they were more concerned with the countercultural movement itself. The Post-colonials, however, hailing from nations freed from European colonialism, often used their work to make forceful political points.
And even where the link between an author’s times and their movement might not be apparent, there will still be influences. From the education they received, the culture they grew up in, to the news they would have heard while writing, they will all influence how they approach their work and their characters or messages.
Some recurrent themes in literary movements
Although there are far too many literary movements to comprehensively list here, considering just a few gives a flavor. Through some examples, you can quickly see how they not just the differences, but also the influences of other movements and their time.
One example might be Romanticism. A 19th century movement, it was driven by emotion. And with poets and writers like Lord Byron and Victor Hugo, it’s easy to see how strong emotion inspired much of their work.
A later group can be considered an evolution. The Lake Poets, perhaps best known for Wordsworth, were all romantics, and followed that tradition, but focused on the beauty of nature and its emotional impact, particularly around the English Lake District.
More current is post-modernism. Starting in the 1960s, authors like Philip K Dick, Kirk Vonnegut, and Thomas Pynchon, reacted against cultural norms, taking often surreal approaches to challenge and stretch people’s thinking.
In each case, the movement’s work might not have always directly address the themes or values, but were influenced by them. The Romantics, for example, produced Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, which could be considered early science fiction, but was actually as much about human emotions, like love and rejection.
Connecting the strands
When tracing of literary movements, look for those strands and how they interact. They are sometimes direct responses, and sometimes extensions. Nineteenth century realism, with its focus on the ordinary and poverty, such as in some of Dostoyevsky’s struggling characters, can be traced through to later movements like social realism and American realism.
And the links can even be fairly abstract. The emotion of the Romantics could arguably be part of the Postmodernist school, a postmodernist might believe that the only rational response to the absurdity of life is the surreal, absurd, or escapist.
A common habit of writers is that they read a lot, and that means they are susceptible to being influenced by what they have read. It is often useful to consider what books had been published before an author was active, since that will help guide you towards the influences that might have played upon them.
Another useful approach is to consider the similarities and differences between movements. How do they approach description, for example, is it straightforward, or do they employ metaphor? Do they describe and define emotion, or do they let the reader do the work of ascribing feeling and motivation? Do they seem skeptical or embracing of what they are addressing?
And, when you have considered those, ask why they have taken the approach they have. The Lake Poets cannot be blamed for wanting to capture the wonders of their area, but they were working at a time of enormous inequality, and not far from the exploitation of the early Industrial Revolution. What was it about those poets that drove them to focus on and celebrate nature, while the realists, around the same time, were using the poverty they saw as material?
Towards a deeper understanding of literature
The movement to which an author, book, or poem belongs might seem abstract, and secondary to the work itself. However, by understanding the movement, and the values and techniques associated with it, and how it compared to those that came before or were around it deepens your understanding.
No book or poem exists in a vacuum, considering the literary movements it is part of, and the relationships that literary movement has with other movements as well as its time, helps you make connections and draw conclusions that help you form a deeper connection with the work and its author, helping you both better comprehend and enjoy it.