[17], The most popular British writer of the early years of the 20th century was arguably Rudyard Kipling, a highly versatile writer of novels, short stories and poems, and to date the youngest ever recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature (1907). List of poetry groups and movements - Wikipedia [34] Tom Stoppard's "first professional production was in the fifteen-minute Just Before Midnight programme on BBC Radio, which showcased new dramatists". Alfred, Lord Tennyson was a British poet. Lessing soon became a dominant presence in the English literary scene, frequently publishing right through the century, and won the nobel prize for literature in 2007. one of the few writers who completed their greatest works after being awarded the Nobel Prize: these works include The Tower (1928) and The Winding Stair and Other Poems (1929).[7]. Did Britain Produce ANY Great 20th Century Poets But for the modern poet, nature is not a mystic. He is credited with popularizing Hinduism, Taoism, and Buddhism in the Western world. He is best known for developing and popularizing a distinctive and eclectic style that blended many genres, such as folk, jazz, pop, calypso, and psychedelic rock. [37] Irish playwright Brendan Behan, author of The Quare Fellow (1954), was commissioned by the BBC to write a radio play The Big House (1956); prior to this he had written two plays Moving Outand A Garden Party for Irish radio. The play was performed to great acclaim in France, Italy, Germany and Spain, while the novel was translated into 16 languages. Best remembered for his novel The Good Soldier, author Ford Madox Ford was the grandson of Pre-Raphaelite painter Ford Madox Brown. In the later decades of the 20th century, the genre of science fiction began to be taken more seriously because of the work of writers such as Arthur C. Clarke's (2001: A Space Odyssey), Isaac Asimov, Ursula K. Le Guin, Robert Heinlein, Michael Moorcock and Kim Stanley Robinson. Herbert Asquith (poet) Attila the Stockbroker W. H. Auden Alfred Austin B Philip Bainbrigge (died 1918) Alan Baker (poet) Gavin Bantock George Barker (poet) Barrow Poets Joan Barton Henry If you dont believe us, heres a sneak peek. He was a columnist for The Chicago Defender and wrote the iconic poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers. He has won the, (English Actor, Writer and Director Known for His Films: V for Vendetta and A Fish Called Wanda), (English Writer Who Interpreted and Popularised Japanese, Chinese and Hindu Philosophy for Western Audience), (American Actress Known for Her Role in the TV Series 'Olive Kitteridge'), (English Author Known for His Novels: A Room with a View, Howards End and A Passage to India), Lucy Hawking, daughter of legendary physicist Stephen Hawking, has been a journalist with, (English Playwright, Composer and Actor Best Known for His Wit and Flamboyance), (Comic Actor Who was Part of The Comedy Duo 'Laurel and Hardy'. Beebe, Maurice (Fall 1972). A hardcore Marxist, he lived in exile during the Nazi period. Robert Browning was an English playwright and poet best remembered for his dramatic monologues. Auden is a British poet, author and playwright best known as a leading literary character in the 20th century for his poetry. English author, screenwriter, and essayist, Douglas Adams, is most remembered for his comedy science fiction series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Some of the famous poets from Britain are Robert Adamson, Mark Akenside, William Cowper and Richard Arlington. He is best known for his high fantasy classic works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, which is set in a conceived world called the Middle-Earth. How Late it Was, How Late, 1994, won the Booker Prize that year; A. L. Kennedy's 2007 novel Day was named Book of the Year in the Costa Book Awards. [47] Caribbean writer Jean Rhys's writing career began as early as 1928, though her most famous work, Wide Sargasso Sea, was not published until 1966. Evoking epic themes, it recounts the odyssey of a group of rabbits seeking to establish a new home. He was homosexual and had a love affair with sculptor Emilio Aladrn. Category:British women poets - Wikipedia In 1923 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, the first Irishman so honoured. W. H. Auden was an Anglo-American poet. But during the war, his writings took a serious turn; he publishedBrideshead Revisited in 1945, a book that continues to appear on the best books list till now. Erskine Childers' The Riddle of the Sands (1903), is an early example of spy fiction. He wrote poems on love, political and social themes, and cultural and psychological themes. Over 20 of his songs made it to the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. [14] H. G. Wells was a prolific author who is now best known for his science fiction novels,[15] most notably The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, The Invisible Man and The Island of Doctor Moreau all written in the 1890s. His best-known character is the priest-detective Father Brown, who appeared only in short stories, while The Man Who Was Thursday published in 1908 is arguably his best-known novel. "Ulysses and the Age of Modernism". Vote for Your Favourite 20th Century Poets, (American Poet and Civil Rights Activist Known for Her Autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings). In his works, he often reflected upon the dehumanizing effects of modernity and industrialization. Famous American Poets A. Milne was an English author best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh. The term Postmodern literature is used to describe certain tendencies in post-World War II literature. Although he was prolific in many genres, he is best remembered for his work on sci-fi novels, for which he is often referred to as the father of science fiction. The Greatest 19th Century Poets Hailed as the most brilliant satirical novelist of his day, he wrote mostly satires before WWII. Kipling's reputation declined during his lifetime, but more recently postcolonial studies has "rekindled an intense interest in his work, viewing it as both symptomatic and critical of imperialist attitudes". Read and Enjoy Poetry by 20th Century Famous Poets. Considered one of the greatest authors, JRR Tolkien is popularly called the father of the modern fantasy literature. [5] Another immigrant, Polish-born modernist novelist Joseph Conrad (18571924) published his first important work, Heart of Darkness, in 1899 and Lord Jim in 1900. [41] Stephen Spender (1909 1995)), whose career began in the 1930s, was another important poet. Growing up in war-torn Germany in the early 20thcentury, he had a difficult life. Sir Nol Peirce Coward was an English composer, playwright, singer, director, and actor. He also contributed as a publications editor during World War II, working for the Ministry of Information. Yeats was one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. The sexual nature of his writings earned him many enemies. Many years after his death, Tolkien continues to be one of the best-selling writers. Her works center largely on expressing the psychological and emotional lives of her characters. Category:20th-century English poets - Wikipedia W. H. Auden was an Anglo-American poet. His works influenced other poets like Robert Francis, James Wright, Edward Thomas, Richard Wilbur, and Seamus Heaney. A successful commercial pilot before World War II, he joined the French Air Force at the start of the war. Her novel Middlemarch was voted one of the greatest literary works in a 2007 poll conducted by Time. Robert Frost was an American poet. [8] Other important American poets writing early in the 20th century were William Carlos Williams (18831963), Robert Frost (18741963), who published his first collection in England in 1913, and H.D. The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman, Austrian State Prize for European Literature, Book Review: A Voyage to Arcturus (1920) by David Lindsay, "Julian Barnes's pseudonymous detective novels stay under cover", "Perfect Day for AL Kennedy as she takes Costa book prize", "Literatur-Staatspreis an Britin verliehen", "Simon Armitage: 'Witty and profound' writer to be next Poet Laureate", "Carol Ann Duffy is 'wrong' about poetry, says Geoffrey Hill", "Dame Hilary Mantel | the Man Booker Prizes", British literature Books tagged British literature, A Bibliography of Literary Theory, Criticism and Philology, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Twentieth-century_English_literature&oldid=1118803000, History of literature in the United Kingdom, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from November 2017, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2015, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2012, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 29 October 2022, at 00:37. Take a look at some of the famous British writers of the 20th century. and Appeared with His Comedy Partner Oliver Hardy in 107 Short Films), (Best Known for His Books About the Teddy Bear Winnie-the-Pooh and Children's Poetry), Joan Collins, sister of renowned author Jackie Collins, is best known for her, Starting his career as a comedy writer, actor-director Terry Jones later soared to fame as part of the. Auden Dylan Thomas Ted Hughes In Parenthesis, a modernist epic poem by David Jones (18951974) first published in 1937, is probably the best known contribution from Wales to the literature of the First World War. He is credited with co-founding the Romantic Movement in England along with his friend William Wordsworth. Even though he studied law in college, he was more interested in working in the entertainment industry. In 1989, the Wilfred Owen Association was established to commemorate his life and poetry. He is considered a successor to Victorian authors like Matthew Arnold and John Ruskin. The Best Poets of the 20th CenturyWallace StevensWilliam Butler YeatsFederico Garca LorcaElizabeth BishopSeamus HeaneyMarina TsvetaevaCharles BukowskiLangston HughesWilliam Carlos Williams. Incantation, Ars Poetica? Lyastovitsa. Magical Mystery Tour, Oh! [31], An important cultural movement in the British theatre which developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s was Kitchen sink realism (or "kitchen sink drama"), a term coined to describe art (the term itself derives from an expressionist painting by John Bratby), novels, film and television plays. The first non-European to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, Tagore is also credited with composing the national anthems of India and Bangladesh. His stories have inspired several films like Tales of Ordinary Madness, Crazy Love, and Factotum. Influential 21st Century Poets 1 Seamus Heaney 2 Fleur Adcock 3 Wendell Berry 4 Joyce Carol Oates 5 Margaret Atwood 6 Vikram Seth 7 Sherman Alexie 8 Carol Ann Duffy 9 Billy Collins A recipient of several prestigious awards, including an Academy Honorary Award, Coward did not acknowledge his homosexuality publicly, although it was later discussed by biographers like Graham Payn. He explored individuals search for authenticity, self-knowledge, and spirituality in his works. Popular during his lifetime, he acquired an iconic status after his death. Her older sister, A. S. Byatt (born 1936) is best known for Possession published in 1990. His poetry, which is renowned for its powerful visual imagery, served as an important influence on the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a group of English poets and painters. Heres we bring you the collection of biographies of a few famous poets from Britain. From 1968 to 1972, he served as the Poet Laureate. The tetralogy Parade's Endremainsone of his best-known works. He is best known for developing and popularizing a distinctive and eclectic style that blended many genres, such as folk, jazz, pop, calypso, and psychedelic rock. Even though he died at the relatively young age of 44, he left behind a rich literary legacy. Poet, author, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou was a champion for black feminism and is best remembered for her autobiography, (Famous for Her Books 'The Bell Jar' and 'Ariel'), (American Poet Who was Known for His Realistic Depictions of Rural Life), (Indian Political Activist, Poet and 1st Governor of United Provinces), (Best Known as a Leader of the Modernist Movement in Poetry), American-born British poet T. S. Eliot is best remembered for his poems, (One of the Earliest Innovators of the Literary Art Form Called Jazz Poetry), (One of the Greatest English-Language Poets of the 20th Century and 1923 Nobel Prize for Literature Winner), Nobel Prize-winning Irish poet, playwright, and prose writer W. B. Yeats is remembered as one of the most significant literary figures of the 20th century. He also wrote short stories and novels meant for adults. Colm Tibn (Irish, 1955) is a novelist, short story writer, essayist, playwright, journalist, critic, and, most recently, poet. [18] Strongly influenced by his Christian faith, G. K. Chesterton was a prolific and hugely influential writer with a diverse output. He is one of the best-selling authors of all-time and had a career spanning decades. Literary works written in the English language in the twentieth-century. Walter De La Mares poetry is full of true romantic spirit bordering on supernaturalism. 20th Century Prose Often referred to as the "prince of paradox",he had as many detractors as he had admirers. His stature in modern literature has been contested, but probably the most common critical view from the 1930s onward ranked him as one of the three major twentieth-century British poets, and heir to Eliot and Yeats. Best known for his iconic novels Howards End and A Passage to India, British author E. M. Forster dealt with themes such as class division and gender. The Great War, which took place between 1914-1918, shook the very foundations of the Western world, causing a societal upheaval that left immediate and lasting impressions on every aspect of society and culture. Donovan is a Scottish guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Poet Derek Walcott, from St Lucia in the Caribbean, was another Nobel Prize winner in 1992. It combines fantasy, philosophy, and science fiction in an exploration of the nature of good and evil and their relationship with existence. Beckett also influenced Tom Stoppard (born 1937) (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, 1966). [citation needed], An important development, beginning in the 1930s and 1940s was a tradition of working class novels actually written by working-class background writers. Another noteworthy Australian writer at the end of this period is poet Les Murray. The sexual nature of his writings earned him many enemies. As a screenwriter, he wrote two stories for the TV series Doctor Who. Dylan Thomas achieved tremendous popularity during his lifetime and remains popular after his untimely death at the age of 39. Known for works such as, (Poet and Author Known for His Work Mockingbird Wish Me Luck, and Love Is a Dog from Hell), Poet and childrens author Ted Hughes is best remembered for his iconic poems, (American Poet and Critic Known for His Works: Ripostes, Hugh Selwyn Mauberley and the Epic Poem, The Cantos), American poet Ezra Pound was a significant figure in the modernist poetry movement who developed imagism and gained fame with works such as, (One of the Greatest Authors of 20th Century), (Austrian Poet and Novelist Known for His Poetry Collections Duino Elegies and Sonnets to Orpheus), (Best Known for His Poem Howl, Which is One of the Most Significant Products of the 'Beat Movement'), (Author of 'The Hobbit' & 'The Lord of the Rings'), (English Writer and Poet Known for His Novels: Sons and Lovers, The Rainbow and Women in Love), (Best Known for His Partnership with Paul Simon in the Folk Rock Duo 'Simon & Garfunkel'), (Best Known for His Books About the Teddy Bear Winnie-the-Pooh and Children's Poetry), (Regarded as One of the Most Significant American Writers of All Time), (Known for Her Hit Single Because the Night), (Best Known For His Novels 'Lolita' and 'Pale Fire'). Siegfried Sassoon was an English writer, poet, and soldier. John Keats And Romantic Poetry. Another admired Canadian novelist and poet is Michael Ondaatje, who was born in Sri Lanka. Even though he died at the relatively young age of 44, he left behind a rich literary legacy. Adrienne Rich, in full Adrienne Cecile Rich, (born May 16, 1929, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.died March 27, 2012, Santa Cruz, California), was an American poet, essayist and feminist.She was called one of the most widely read and influential poets of the second half of the 20th century, and was credited with bringing the oppression of women and Stoppard's works are however also notable for their high-spirited wit and the great range of intellectual issues which he tackles in different plays. He also wrote short stories and novels meant for adults. 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