Literature in Irish, from Medieval Bardic Poetry to Post-Literary

Annotation

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the course is to introduce students to literature in the Irish language, ranging from the Classical period of the language (An Nua-Ghaeilge Chlasaiceach) to the Modern period (Nua-Ghaeilge).

Lectures will attempt to place literary texts (predominantly poetry) in a social, historical and linguistic context to enable the student to achieve a wider understanding of the gradual decline of the language as a vernacular yet its stubborn persistence in recorded poetry in an ever-changing environment. The course will incorporate the elevated social position of Bardic poetry between 1200-1650, the colonising Tudor influence, the disestablishment of the Gael, the less rigid poetry of the 17th and 18th centuries, and the near-extinction of the language in the 19th century before the Literary Revival set its recovery in motion.

Déanfar iarracht sna léachtaí an litríocht (filíocht go háirithe) a réiteach i suíomh stairiúil, sóisialta agus teangeolaíochta le go bhféadfadh mic léinn tuiscint níos leithne a fháil ar mheath na Gaeilge mar theanga labhartha agus léannta. Bhí stádas ard sóisialta ag na filí sna meánaoiseanna, ach tháinig meath ar a n-áit sa tsochaí chomh maith leis an teanga féin. Mar thoradh ar dhíshealbhú na nGael, is féidir an t-athrú ar an litríocht a fheiscint san am céanna. Cé gur ar éigean a mhair an teanga le linn an naoú haois déag, tháinig sí slán de bharr na hathbheochana.

Virtually all texts will be initially provided in translation due to the difficulty of the classical language, but as we reach the 18th century texts, efforts of the students to translate passages, though not essential, will certainly prove beneficial.

Cuirfear leagan aistrithe de na téacsanna ar fáil toisc dheacracht na teanga chlasaicí, ach de réir mar a théimid ar aghaidh, ba bhreá liom dá dtabharfadh na mic léinn féin faoin aistriúchán.

MATERIAL

Most texts will be provided in photocopies, which will consist of Classical poetry, the poetry of Aogán Ó Rathaille, Dáibhí Ó Bruadair, Eoghan Rua Ó Súilleabháin, vision poetry, Cúirt an Mheán Oíche, Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire and Cín Lae Amhlaoibh. 20th century texts to be announced at a later date.

ASSESSMENT to be specified