Final answer:
True, Modernist poetry characteristically embraces themes of disillusionment and alienation in response to societal changes and World War I, as seen in the works of poets like Marianne Moore and T. S. Eliot. This era represented a shift from traditional values to experimentation and questioning of established norms across art and culture. Low Modernism connects to this experimentation, while High Modernism retains some formal traditional structures.
Step-by-step explanation:
True, modernist poetry often grapples with themes of disillusionment, fragmentation, and alienation, which marked a departure from the 19th Century’s core values such as personal responsibility, self-reliance, industriousness, and individualism. The destruction caused by the World War I was a significant catalyst in shaping these themes. Poets like Marianne Moore, one of the preeminent modernist poets, embodied this change by favoring concrete images and plain language over traditional literary forms.
Low Modernism represents the less formal side of Modernist poetry, with a predilection for experimental forms. This experimentation was in part a response to the trauma and the rapid changes in society, as artists aimed to Make It New!, a mantra popularized by poet Ezra Pound. The era witnessed a break from the past, challenging the status quo and reflecting on the new zeitgeist through art and literature.
High Modernist poetry, featuring works by poets like T. S. Eliot, maintained a more traditional structure but also delved into themes of societal change and resembled a world that appeared fragmented and disjointed. The inherent skepticism and the drive for reinvention in the Modernist era were not confined to poetry alone but spanned across various fields including art, architecture, and social norms, advocating progress and a utopian vision for society.