Don't confuse the Modernists movement with the standard dictionary definition of modern. Modernism in Literature is not a chronological designation; rather it consists of literary work possessing certain loosely defined characteristics.he following are characteristics of Modernism: 1  Marked by a strong and intentional break with tradition. 2  This break includes a strong reaction against established religious, political, and social views. 3  Belief that the world is created in the act of perceiving it; that is, the world is what we say it is.