Articles and Reviews

Thursday, February 17, 2011

A Critique of Modernity: Kannada Poetry -Part 1



     ‘Modernity,’ derived from Latin ‘modernus’ to mean ‘recent’ or ‘just now,’  is a slippery term; and unless we specify a particular field and particular context, it does not mean anything.  For instance, in the field of literature, Kalidasa, Bhavabhuti, and Bana; in religion, Buddhism, Advaita, the 12th-century Veerashaiva Movement, and Arya Samaj; in political system, absolute monarchy, empire-building, and democracy –all these can be viewed as ‘modern’ since they rebelled against the ideas and practices of their immediate past and set about exploring new paths.