Books Quote by Frank Kermode
““The first phase of modernism, which so far as the English language goes we associate with Pound and Yeats, Wyndham Lewis and Eliot and Joyce, was clerkly enough, sceptical in many ways; and yet we can without difficulty convict most of these authors of dangerous lapses into mythical thinking. All were men of critical temper, haters of the decadence of the times and the myths of mauvaise foi. All, in different ways, venerated tradition and had programmes which were at once modern and anti-schismatic. This critical temper was admittedly made to seem consistent with a strong feeling for renovation; the mood was eschatological, but scepticism and a refined traditionalism held in check what threatened to be a bad case of literary primitivism. It was elsewhere that the myths ran riot.””
About This Quote
The passage critiques early modernist writers for balancing skeptical, critical attitudes with a tendency toward mythic, traditionalist impulses, warning against simplistic primitivism.
In simple terms: Modernist tension between critique and myth.
Key Takeaway
Critical skepticism can coexist with mythic tradition.
Themes
modernism
skepticism
tradition
mythic thinking
literary criticism
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
critical essay
literary commentary
When to use this quote
- academic literary analysis
- curriculum design for modernist studies
- publishing scholarly essays
- curating literary exhibitions
Key Concepts
critical temper
anti‑schismatic programmes
renovation vs primitivism
Practical Applications
- teaching modernist literature
- guiding literary criticism
Questions to Reflect On
- How does mythic imagination shape modernist critique?
- In what ways can tradition be a catalyst for innovation?
