Modernists lacked confidence in the external reality put forth by social institutions, such as government and religion, and they no longer viewed these avenues as reliable ways to discover the meaning of life. That’s why they turned to themselves to discover the answers. Modernist literature focuses on psychological experience as opposed to the external realities of the world. The experience is moved inward with the aim of making modernist works more representative of reality by making the experience more personal. The modernist era of literature is closely associated with the works of TS Eliot, James Joyce, and Virginia Woolf, among others. These three authors are notable for their use of unique literary tactics and devices that emphasize the inward-looking nature of modernist literature. One of T. S. Eliot's early poems, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," is an excellent example of a text that takes an inward turn in terms of conveying the experience it present. The poem provides insight into the distressed mind of an archetypal modern man of the time. It does this by using the stream of consciousness of the speaker presented as a dramatic monologue. Prufrock, the speaker of the poem, seeks to advance his relationship with a woman who has caught his attention. He wonders if he has “the strength to force the moment into his crisis” (Eliot, 80 years old). Prufrock is so rooted in doubt that he doesn't know if he is capable of having a relationship with this woman. His knowledge of the world in which he lives and his situation prevent him from trying to approach this potential lover. He thinks about why he believes he can't be with her and scolds himself for even thinking it was possible... middle of paper...... even more personal. Authors of the modernist era used modern literary tactics and devices better suited to convey psychological experience. As Eliot, Joyce and Woolf demonstrated, the use of innovative literary techniques, such as epiphanies and stream-of-consciousness stories, were put in place to support the withdrawal that was occurring at the time. . Works Cited Joyce, James. “Eveline”. 1914. The Twentieth Century and Beyond. Ed. Joseph Black. Flight. 6A. Toronto: Broadview, 2008. 317-19. Print. The Broadview Anthology of British Literature. Eliot, Thomas Stearns. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” 1915. The twentieth century and beyond. Ed. Joseph Black. Flight. 6A. Toronto: Broadview, 2008. 444-47. Print. The Broadview Anthology of British Literature. Woolf, Virginia. Mrs. Dalloway. Ed. Stella McNichol. London: Penguin, 2000. Print.