General Syllabus for Graduate Seminar in W. B. Yeats

Required Books

W. B. Yeats, The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats, Revised 2nd Edition, ed. Richard Finneran

W. B. Yeats, Mythologies

W. B. Yeats, Thirteen Plays [Xerox copy]

W. B. Yeats, A Vision [Xerox copy]

John Unterecker, A Readers' Guide to William Butler Yeats

Required Reading, Reports, and Papers

1. Required Readings: [see "Reading and Report Schedule" for due dates]
   • All thirteen volumes of Yeats's poetry and a few selected narrative and dramatic poems
   • A selection of thirteen short verse plays:
     • The Land of Heart's Desire
     • Cathleen Ni Houlihan
     • On Baile's Strand
     • Deirdre
     • At the Hawk's Well
     • The Only Jealousy of Emer
     • The Dreaming of the Bones
     • The Player Queen
     • Calvary
     • The Words upon the Window-Pane
     • The Herne's Egg
     • Purgatory
     • The Death of Cuchulain
   • Selected prose works collected as Mythologies.
   • A Vision

2. First Oral Report and Paper: [see "Guidelines for Topics, Reports, and Papers"]
   • Select and research your topic so that you become the class expert on the subject. The primary purpose of the oral report is to give information to the class that is immediately applicable to understanding Yeats's poetry, prose, and drama. Therefore, the presentation--of about fifteen minutes, slightly longer for those working with a partner--should briefly introduce the major points of your subject and then point out the relationship between these points and a few specific and clarifying examples of the relevant works by Yeats.

   • After taking into consideration class discussion and reaction to your report, write an ten page paper explaining much more fully the relationship between your topic, Yeats's life, and any relevant poems, plays, or prose pieces. This paper will be due two weeks after the oral report.

3. Major Report and Paper: [see "Guidelines for Topics, Reports, and Papers"]
   • Select a volume of poetry from the following list (limit 2 people per volume) and become an expert on it:
     • The Wild Swans at Coole (1919)
     • Michael Robartes and the Dancer (1921)
     • The Tower (1928)
     • The Winding Stairs and Other Poems (1933)
     • A Man Young and Old (1928) and A Woman Young and Old (1933)
     • Words for Music Perhaps (1933)
     • Supernatural Songs (1935)
     • New Poems (1938)
     • Last Poems (1938-1939)
   • Be prepared (with your partner) to give an introductory presentation on your volume to the class. Remember that everyone will have read Unterecker's Reader's Guide on your volume, so try not to duplicate this information.
   • Write a twenty page seminar paper on your volume and any associated plays or prose. This paper will be due on or before Dec 10

4. Grading Procedures:

   ----Oral or Written Assignment----	Percentage of Final Grade
   Fifteen Minute Background Report	10%
   Ten Page Background Paper	30%
   Ten Minute Major Poetry Report	10%
   Twenty Page Major Poetry Paper	50%

5. Email Accounts, Collaboration, and the Internet:
   • You will have to get a free CSUN Email account which will enable you to confer and collaborate with other students and to access the Yeats Homepage: http://www.csun.edu/~hceng029/yeats/yeats.html
     
   • Training sessions and lab schedules are available from the ITR and the The Office of Online Instruction for students who need computer help.
     
   • When everyone has an online connection, we will discuss posting papers and Internet assignments.
     

Warren Wedin <warren.wedin@csun.edu>
William Butler Yeats Seminar Homepage
Department of English
California State University, Northridge
August 13, 2002