Part 2. Modernism and Realism

“For he’s the super realist…”

Earlier American writers like Mark Twain celebrated ‘realism’ as a democratic, distinctly American artistic vision that challenged the flighty, escapist (elitist?) elements of old world Europe. In other words, Europe was interested in writing about knights and dragons while Twain wrote about a run-away boy and a slave.

In what ways did realism change in the 1900s? Can we make the argument that it became a ‘super-realism’ as in Ferlinghetti's poem below?  What might that even mean? What might it look/sound like?  With Yekl as your starting point, conduct an overview of at least 3 more texts (& 1 visual art work)  that explores how realism evolved  / changed/ ended[?] through the American literature and art of the 20^th Century.  Please begin (or end) your consideration with a brief look at Ferlinghetti’s poem.

Constantly risking absurdity

                                             and death

            whenever he performs

                                        above the heads

                                                            of his audience

   the poet like an acrobat

                                 climbs on rime

                                          to a high wire of his own making

and balancing on eyebeams

                                     above a sea of faces

             paces his way

                               to the other side of day

    performing entrechats

                               and sleight-of-foot tricks

and other high theatrics

                               and all without mistaking

                     any thing

                               for what it may not be

       For he's the super realist

                                     who must perforce perceive

                   taut truth

                                 before the taking of each stance or step

in his supposed advance

                                  toward that still higher perch

where Beauty stands and waits

                                     with gravity

                                                to start her death-defying leap

      And he

             a little charleychaplin man

                                           who may or may not catch

               her fair eternal form

                                     spreadeagled in the empty air

                  of existence