A tension in writing between the popular and the esoteric, and the popular and specialized, the commercial and the avant-garde, became a feature of twentieth-century literature. Isolation and alienation, together with experimental forms of expression, came to characterise serious literature, while cinematic techniques and the elaboration of popular genres came to dominate other forms of cultural expression. ... Against Modernism it was said that it produced chaotic and difficult writing, that it moved beyond the capacity of many readers and became elitist. ... What is significant is that both ...

• Word Count: 10566
• Approx Pages: 42

He described literature as, "imaginative writing in the sense of fiction" (Eagleton 1). If one then believes that 'writing in the sense of fiction' is the meaning of literature then who is it that decides what is true and untrue - and thus ultimately, literature? ...

• Word Count: 5585
• Approx Pages: 22
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

He is credited with creating the detective story genre and with transforming the Gothic mystery tale of the Romantic Period. ... Ultimately, Poe took writing to be a moral task that simultaneously stimulated his readers' mental, emotional, and spiritual feelings. ...

• Word Count: 2508
• Approx Pages: 10
• Grade Level: High School