• Contemporary poetry is porous, open to changes, accepting the voice of diverse voices.
• Pluralization of the voices and the democratization of the poetry scene are the main themes of the contemporary poetry, Instead of identity they use “subject”:
• The postmodern condition, as defined by Lyotard, emerges from a rejection of grand narratives—totalizing ideas like progress, reason, and enlightenment promoted by modernists like Habermas.
• Instead, post modernity values the contingent, the provisional, and the plural, embracing difference, fragmentation, and what lies outside the center (ex-centric voices such as the marginalized, non-normative, and regional identities**). <
• It emphasizes the constructed nature of reality, exposing how discourse (historical, social, and political systems) creates meaning and reinforces power structures. In postmodern literature, identity becomes fluid and fractured—referred to as “subject” rather than a fixed self.
• Stylistically, postmodern texts feature fragmentation, intertextuality, and a blurring of high and low culture.
• Tools like parody (mocking imitation), pastiche (playful homage), and bricolage (assembling diverse styles or texts into something new) challenge the idea of originality.
• Irony and double encoding allow authors to both uphold and subvert meanings simultaneously, creating layered, self-aware narratives. Overall, postmodern literature decentralizes dominant ideologies by giving space to peripheral voices and questioning what is considered "normal" or "universal."

Ian McMillan

• Critical Regionalism: is a way of writing that defends local identity—especially his Yorkshire roots—against the flattening effects of globalization and London-centric culture. It’s not anti-modern, but it insists on the value of regional speech, landscape, and working-class experience, blending the global and the local to resist cultural sameness.
• Rejects the elitism of academic poetry ("ivory tower").
• Brings poetry to the people with humor, wit, and relatability.
• Often performs poems; has a performance poet persona.
• Ian McMillan, often dubbed the "Bard of Barnsley," is a poet and performer who brings a distinctly northern, working-class voice to contemporary British poetry.
• His work champions regional identity, using Yorkshire dialect, humor, and everyday subjects to democratize poetry and make it accessible to a broader audience.
• Like Armitage, McMillan embraces a postmodern resistance to elitist literary norms, often fusing poetry with performance, radio, and public engagement.
• His tone is playful yet political, using wit to critique social hierarchies and celebrate local culture. McMillan’s poetry values the ordinary and the communal, transforming the familiar rhythms of speech into verse that speaks directly to the people.
• In an age of cultural globalization, he stands as a voice for local pride, linguistic diversity, and the poetic potential of everyday life.

Simon Armitage