Week 1: Introduction: How to Read Poetry. The Irish Poet in Contemporary Ireland

Critical studies: Terry Eagleton, How to Read a Poem, 41-64, 102-142; Holdridge, ‘Island’ 189-199; Brown, Voices 5-28; Johnston 1-73.

Week 2: New Identities

Patrick Kavanagh. Poems: The Great Hunger Part I (Crotty 33); Inniskeen Road: July Evening (TEX 3); Shancoduff (TEX 2). Critical studies: Brown, Ulster 214-21; Montague, Cave 136-46; Schirmer 306-11; Johnston 121-38; Campbell (ed.) 42-58.

Louis MacNeice. Poems: Autumn Journal Part XVI (Crotty 78); Carrickfergus (TEX 6); Belfast (TEX 6); Snow (Crotty 78); Autobiography (TEX 6). Critical studies: Brown, Ulster 98-113; Longley, Wars 78-93, 211-43; Dawe, Piety 81-88; McDonald in Patten (ed.) 41-60; McCracken in Patten (ed.) 249-260; Longley, Louis MacNeice: A Critical Study; Montague, Cave 127-32; Schirmer 330-34, Johnston 204-24; Campbell (ed.) 59-75; Smith 71-86.

Weeks 3 and 4: The Sense of Place

Critical studies: Longley, Stream 86-108; Heaney Preoccupations passim.

John Hewitt. Poems: The Colony (Crotty 69); Once Alien Here (TEX 10); Ulster Names (TEX 10), An Irishman in Coventry (Crotty 73). Critical studies: Vance 223-40; Brown, Ulster 86-97; Dawe, Piety 89-104; McDonald in Patten (ed.) 41-60; Vance in Patten (ed.) 297-309; Montague, Cave 147-53; Schirmer 334-37; Matthews 45-73.

Seamus Heaney. Poems: Digging (Heaney, Poems 1); Bogland (Heaney, Poems 17); At A Potato Digging (TEX 10); The Tolund Man (Heaney, Poems 31); Punishment (Heaney, Poems 71); Act of Union (Heaney, Poems 74); The Toome Road (Heaney, Poems 96); Casualty (Heaney, Poems 100). Critical studies: Vance 241-60; Brown, Ulster 172-86; Longley, Wars 140-169; Horton in Patten (ed.) 287-94; Ormsby in Patten (ed.)h 384-94; Allen (ed.), Seamus Heaney; Johnston 138-66; Deane 174-86; Bradley in Brophy and Porter (eds.) 1-13; Matthews 158; Tracy in Kenneally (ed.) 238-62 (on Sweeney Astray); Broom 143-54; Campbell (ed.) 113-32; Smith 99-118, 119-42.

Weeks 5 and 6: The Poetics of Partition

Critical studies: Vance 209-23; Longley, Posterity 280-315. Longley, Wars 185-210.

Paul Muldoon. Poems: Gathering Mushrooms (Crotty 341); Meeting the British (TEX 2); The Sightseers (TEX 2); The Boundary Commission (TEX 3); Immrama (TEX 3). Critical studies: Longley, Wars 211-43; Johnston 263; Mathews 187-206; O’Donoghue in Kenneally (ed.) 400-18; Broom 191-25; Campbell (ed.) 189-208; Smith 184-202.

Tom Paulin. Poems: A Just State (TEX 3); Desertmartin (Crotty 322); Line on the Grass (TEX 4); An Ulster Unionist Walks The Streets Of London (TEX 4); Settlers (TEX 4); Surveillances (TEX 4). Critical studies: Longley, Posterity 224-34; Andrews in Kenneally (ed.) 329-43; Campbell (ed.) 189-208.

Ciaran Carson. Poems: Belfast Confetti (TEX 4); Hamlet (Crotty 314); Turn Again (TEX 5); The Exiles’ Club (TEX 5); Punctuation (TEX 5); Yes (TEX 5). Critical studies: Mathews 187-206; Denman in Kenneally (ed.) 158-73; McCracken in Kenneally (ed.) 356-72; Broom: 164-76; Campbell (ed.) 189-208; Smith 203-19.

Week 7: Land and Landscape

John Montague. Poems: The Water Carrier (TEX 7); Like Dolmens Round My Childhood, the Old People (Crotty 179); A Welcoming Party (TEX 7); The Country Fiddler (TEX 7); Mad Sweeney (TEX 8); A Drink of Milk (Crotty 181). Critical studies: Brown, Ulster 149-170; Dawe, Piety 127-44; Schirmer 348-50; Johnston 180-203; Deane 146-55; Cave in Kenneally (ed.) 216-37; Smith 87-98.

Michael Longley. Poems: In Memoriam (Crotty 220); Wounds (Crotty 223); Leaving Inishmore (TEX 9); The Butchers (Crotty 230); Ghost Town (Crotty 224); Ceasefire (TEX 19). Critical studies: Brown, Ulster 201-12; Dawe, Piety 153-68; Broom 154-64; Campbell (ed.) 133-48.

Weeks 8 and 9: The Irish Grain

Thomas Kinsella. Poems: From Notes from the Land of Dead. Poems: The Hen Woman (Crotty 160). Critical studies: Dawe, Piety 13-26; Schirmer 345-48; Johnston 97-129; Holdridge, ‘Homeward’ 116-34; O’Hara in Brophy and Porter (eds.) 65-80.

Derek Mahon. Poems: A Disused Shed in Co Wexford (TEX 13), The Last of the Fire Kings (TEX 12); Derry Morning (TEX 12); A Refusal to Mourn (Crotty 259). Critical studies: Brown, Ulster 192-201; Longley, Wars 170-184; Dawe, Piety 153-68; Graham in Patten (ed.) 240-8; Johnston 224-46; Deane 156-65; Grennan in Brophy and Porter (eds.) 15-31; Longley in Kenneally (ed.) 280-303; Campbell (ed.) 133-48; Smith 165-83.

Paul Durcan. Poems: Making Love Outside Arás An Uachtaráin (TEX 16); In Memory of Those Murdered in the Dublin Massacre, May 1974 (TEX 16); The Kilfenora Teaboy (TEX 16). Critical studies: Dawe, Piety 169-92.

Weeks 9 and 10: A Voice of their Own

Eavan Boland. Poems: Mise Éire (TEX 17); Anna Liffey (Crotty 279). Critical studies: Dawe, Piety 169-92; Johnston 260; Denman in Kenneally (ed.) 158-73; Broom 110-23; Campbell (ed.) 169-88.

Medbh McGuckian. Poems: Mr McGregor’s Garden (TEX 19); Venus and the Rain (TEX 20); The Flower Master (TEX 20); Porcelain Bells (Crotty 334); Charlotte’s Delivery (TEX 19). Marconi’s Cottage (Crotty 333). Critical studies: Johnston 260; Denman in Kenneally (ed.) 158-73; Wills in Kenneally (ed.) 373-99: Campbell (ed.) 169-88; Campbell (ed.) 189-208.

Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin. Poems: The Informant (Crotty 268); Saint Margaret of Cortona (Crotty 270); Those People (TEX 17). Critical studies: Johnston 262; Campbell (ed.) 169-88.

Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill. Poems: Blodwedd (TEX 17); Kundalini (TEX 18); Scéala / Annunciations (Crotty 336); the Táin poems (TEX 18-9).

Week 12: Poetry in Irish

Critical studies: Mac Giolla Leith in Kenneally (ed.) 84-98; Campbell (ed.) 149-68.

Michael Hartnett: A Farewell to English (TEX 25), The Purge (TEX 26).

Máire Mhac An tSaoi. Poems: Caoineadh / Lament (Crotty 138); Fómhair na Farraige / Harvest of the Sea (TEX 22); Oíche Nollag / Christmas Eve (TEX 22); Codladh an Ghaiscígh / The Hero’s Sleep (TEX 22).

Cathal Ó Searcaigh. Poems: Súile Shuibhne / Sweeney’s Eyes (TEX 23); Caoineadh / Lament (Crotty 138); Fothrach Tí i Mín na Craoibhe / Ruin of House In Mín na Craoibhe (TEX 23); Séasúir / Seasons (TEX 23).

Caitlín Maude. Poems: Aimhréidh / Entanglement (TEX 21); Amhrán Grá Vietnam / Vietnam Love Song (TEX 21); Géibheann / Captivity (TEX 21); Impí / Entreaty (TEX 21).

Week 13 and 14: Conclusions

Final conclusions and student-led seminars.