ENGL 40516 - The Irish in Their Own Words

Institution:

University of Notre Dame

Subject:

English

Description:

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the richness and variety of literature produced in the Irish language during the medieval and early modern periods (we will cover primarily the period between approximately 800 and 1700 A.D.). The emphasis in the first half of the semester will be on studying the mainly prose saga literature of the medieval period in its various literary, cultural and historical contexts. This will involve both a close reading of the texts themselves in English translation and an examination of the material in the light of recent scholarship in this area. The second half will investigate the literature of the early modern period, in this case largely the poetry. This period is one of cumulative crisis for the Irish and their linguistic and cultural well-being. Students read closely a selection of texts representative of various facets of this crisis and of Irish responses to them in their own language rather than in the English language of their colonizers. All the translations are accompanied by facing original text so that students gain some working knowledge of the Irish language which will assist them in evaluating the translations that they are reading and in appreciating the sensuous beauty of much of this poetry. The material provides interesting contrasts and comparisons for those who have already studied some Anglo-Irish literature and it should also be of interest to students of modern Irish history.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.nd.edu

Phone Number:

(574) 631-5000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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