20th- and 21st-Century Irish Poetry

This seminar has various goals. Its most pragmatic purpose will be to impart basic strategies for the analysis of poetry, strategies which shall eventually make it easier to handle poetry as such. Considering that poetry is often dreaded for several reasons (Which?), what is even more important, however, is to show as far as possible that poetry is in fact an accessible and deeply rewarding genre. In other words: Reading poetry may even turn out to be fun. In addition, the course will, as the title suggests, provide a survey of Irish poetry from the 20th and 21st centuries. Starting off with important early-20th-century predecessors (Yeats, Kavanagh), the emphasis will be on a relatively broad selection of Irish poetry after 1950, which will include texts from canonical poets (like Seamus Heaney) but also cover some lesser-known voices. Importantly, we will also consider ‘new Irish’ poetry, i.e. poetry by non-native poets from Ireland, who have their ‘roots’ in other parts of the world. Last but not least, the texts will be situated in their relevant cultural, historical, and social contexts; at least, as far as this is possible. Eminent issues reflected in the poems are, for example, the Northern Irish conflict, the question of Irishness, the position of women in Irish society, the Ireland of the ‘Celtic Tiger’, post-‘Celtic Tiger’ Ireland, multicultural Ireland (incl. race and ethnicity, racism) etc.

The poems will be made available on Moodle.
 

Suggested introductory reading:

Goodby, John (2000), Irish Poetry since 1950: From Stillness into History, Manchester: Manchester University Press.

Campbell, Matthey, ed. (2003). The Cambridge Companion to Contemporary Irish Poetry. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Assignments depend on the respective course of studies and will be explained in the first session.

Personal attendance during the first session is mandatory to maintain enrolment status.
Please direct all inquiries about vacancies to britkult.fragen.fk15tu-dortmundde.