Responding to Modernism

A modernist would define art using word like: "new" "innovative" "bold" "revolutionary". The modernist artist is always reinventing itself, desperately trying to be the one to change the accepted view on what art is; constantly in search of new definitions, new directions, and new ideas. The modernist seems to be in search of greatness, to be forever remembered in art history as the one who was the first to do (blank). The goal of the modernist is to provoke an aesthetic experience from the audience, but to do so by strict originality rather than imitation or collage (a means a postmodernist most likely explore).

in response to Elliot

It seems to me that as the poem goes on, it becomes more reflective. Is Elliot looking back at his life here? Certainly he is wondering if what he's done has been worthwhile. He also spends a lot of time writing about intent and worrying that his audience will not understand as he had intended. He writes, "That is not what I meant at all. That is not it at all." This could be the author expressing that his work has been misinterpreted. More interestingly it could be the voice of God, expressing his discontent for man's reasoning as to the meaning of life.