Honors Program: A pathway to excellence.

HON 202/402 Experiencing Ireland

An introduction to Irish Studies, this course will explore Ireland's myth and folklore, early 20th century political and literary history through the poetry, drama and prose writing of William Butler Yeats, as well as a sampling of Irish culture through traditional Celtic music, dance and the modern Irish language. Students will produce independent creative/scholarly work tailored to course level and desired substitution.

The mission statement of UM-Western promises "innovative interdisciplinary education through experiential learning that combines theory and practice" - we will strive for that goal in this course. This course is entirely and exclusively concerned with the development of interdisciplinary thinking. The course will begin with an introduction to Celtic myth, fairy and folklore, works decisive in shaping William Butler Yeats thought and art. Students will explore through assigned reading and class discussions the influence of these texts in relation to Yeats' involvement in the Irish Literary Revival, which was, from the beginning, closely involved with the national independence movement, a movement which sought to promote the spirit of Ireland's native heritage. Students will follow Yeats' political involvement in Ireland through his poetry and dramatic work, hearing through his poems such as "September 1913" his response to the Irish nationalist uprising, and following his creative work through the civil war, development of the Irish Free State, and his appointment to the Irish Senate in 1922. By the end of this course, students will exhibit an understanding of how an artist, in this case a writer, through his creative work reflected the spirit of a people, influenced a revolution and ultimately helped to define a nation.

As thinking is an activity of each student, it is not something that we can do for you; THUS, ACTIVE STUDENT PARTICIPATION IS REQUIRED. Students are encouraged to interact critically not only with each other, but also with the instructors during lectures as well. We will be sorely disappointed if a course activity goes by without any questions from the class. Participation also means coming to each class ready to discuss the day's readings and/or assignments. Students who show up unprepared are cheating their fellow classmates out of a quality-learning environment - this will not be tolerated. IF YOU SHOW UP TO CLASS UNPREPARED, YOU WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE - IF YOU ARE NOT HERE TO WORK, YOU SHOULD NOT BE HERE AT ALL.

Travel Abroad: Students will spend 17 days abroad in various locations throughout Ireland. We will begin our trip in Dublin, the birthplace of W.B. Yeats and location of the Abbey Theater; a poetry tour of Sligo County, including stops to the Yeats Society in Sligotown, Lissadell, Glencar, Innisfree and the Drumcliff churchyard where Yeats is buried; the stoneage archeological sites, such as Knocknarea (Queen Maeve's grave) and the celebrated Newgrange monument; and sites of immense literary value, such as the Aran Islands and the Yeats tower. Along the way, we'll be sampling the Irish culture, land, and seascapes that inspired the texts we have studied. During this time period guided learning experiences will be combined with cultural activities and free time to explore the Emerald Isle. Students may elect to extend their stay in Ireland (or elsewhere in Europe) through spring break. A detailed itinerary, along with travel tips, will be posted on WebCT.
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HON 202/402 Experiencing Ireland is available for either lower or upper division credit.

Substitutions: Possible course substitutions (subject to departmental approval): ENG 339, 361, 454, ANTH/GEOG/POLS/PSY/SOC 200s, POLS/HIST 409

Instructors: Rebecca Knotts and Dr. Sean Eudaily

Time: Spring 2008, Block 6, 12-3pm

Prerequisite: ENGL 102