英語表現演習　８／English Seminars 8 English Seminars 8

【授業の目標 / Course Objectives】

This English literature course aims to help students develop their English abilities in the four core skills of listening, reading, speaking, and writing through a combination of various texts, media and in-class activities, as well as some supplementary optional materials (paper and audio-visual), which students are encouraged to engage in, in order to deepen their understanding of this course and its writer, William Butler Yeats (W. B. Yeats), one of the greatest poets of the English language of the twentieth century. Students enrolled in this course will have the opportunity to enhance their abilities to analyze a text of literature through close reading of the original text, the provision of supplementary notes, as well as videos or audio materials as supplements to aid them in their reading and interpretation of the source texts from various perspectives. This approach has been taken with the hope that it will facilitate students’ overall understanding of late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century English and Irish literature.

To provide students with a better contextual background, some supplementary materials and information on W. B. Yeats, as well as some of the poets who lived both during and after his time will also be provided to help students better understand this important and vital period in English literature. In each semester for this “Prophecies” course (consisting of Part 1 and Part 2), three or four writers of a similar ilk will be introduced as a means of comparison against the writings of W. B. Yeats himself (the same form of comparison was conducted with William Blake’s work in the first semester), to help students deepen their understanding of certain aspects of the field which some have called ‘prophetic writings’. Although Blake and Yeats were not contemporaries, Yeats is one of many poets influenced by Blake and someone who took up and carried the torch of ‘Blakean tradition’ many years later. In Prophecies II, along with the writings and life of Yeats himself, we will also talk about some of the other well-known poets and writers of Yeats’ time such as Lady Gregory, John Synge, James Joyce, Ezra Pound, seers or mystics such as Madame Blavatsky, and some who came from a little before Yeats’ time but who exerted an influence such as Walter Pater or who were influenced by Yeats later on, including Seamus Heaney (the compiler of the textbook volume).

In terms of skills related to English ability and proficiency, students will have the opportunity to improve their English listening skills through the interpretations of the texts provided by their teacher in class, and listening to some recordings of Yeats reading from his own poems, many of which are now available online. This will be used not only as a listening-comprehension exercise, but also as a way for students to further deepen their understanding of Yeats’ literary aims, poetic style and philosophy, and to generate further discussion and commentary upon the existing body of criticism.

Group discussions will be held in regular classes on questions directly related to the texts and given to students beforehand to prepare. Students will also have the opportunity to make a presentation in class (towards the end of the course in Lessons 11 and 12) on one of the writers mentioned above (Lady Gregory, John Synge, James Joyce, Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot, Madame Blavatsky, Walter Pater, Seamus Heaney, etc.), with the following goals in mind: 1) this exercise will help them improve their written proficiency (in preparing the presentation script); and 2) it will help them improve their spoken English proficiency when they give the presentation in class in front of their peers. Three written homework assignments will be assigned on supplementary materials provided in class. The main textbook used in class is called W. B. Yeats: Poems selected by Seamus Heaney, and it features a selection of Yeats’ poems extracted from his long career in which his poetic style changed frequently. Although we will conduct a brief survey of all of Yeats’ major works, the main focus will fall upon three of Yeats’ collections, The Wild Swans at Coole, The Tower, which is frequently cited as containing his greatest work, and The Winding Stairs and Other Poems. In keeping with the underlying theme of ‘prophecies’, we will also read sporadically from Yeats’ most famous prose work, A Vision (although students will not be expected to purchase a copy of this book). Assignment #1 will be about some faerie tales collected by Yeats and published in The Celtic Twilight. Assignment #2 will focus on Yeats’ famous play, At the Hawk’s Well, which was inspired by Japanese Noh plays. Assignment #3 will be held over two weeks towards the end of term, during which students will give a 3-4 minute presentation (on one of the writers mentioned above). Finally, Assignment #4 will be based on excerpts from Yeats’ A Vision, arguably his most ‘prophetic’ text. Supplementary materials will be provided either in class or on a Google Classroom website set up exclusively for students who register for this course, to help students prepare and complete ALL assignments. Some guidelines on how to complete these assignments will also be provided by the teacher, to help students improve their abilities in English written composition and expression.

Successful completion of this course should indicate an understanding of…
1. the historical background and contexts of Irish poetry and literature, with a focus on the works of W. B. Yeats;
2. the style, structure, aims, spiritual and mystical vision and various complexities found within Yeats’ writings (his poetry, prose and plays), with a particular focus on his poetry in class;
3. several ways of analyzing a text, through supplementary readings, slides and recordings provided in or outside of class.
4. a better background knowledge of Yeats’ life, times and ongoing legacy upon English letters as a whole (NOTE: some essays on Yeats by scholars will be provided to investigate Yeats’ writings from various angles)

This course also involves the development of the following skills…
1. the ability to interpret and discuss a text, based on its historical and cultural context and milieu;
2. the ability to inform an original text through the use of secondary sources;
3. the ability to interpret and understand the literary analysis of other critics and writers;
4. the ability to present an argument or summary of one’s opinion on a literary work both in writing (in the essay question on the final test) and orally (in the presentation task for Assignment #3).

【授業の内容 / Course Contents】

This course, predominantly conducted in English, will offer enrolled students the opportunity to read and discuss W. B. Yeats’ poetry, plays and prose. We will be using the book, W. B. Yeats: Poems selected by Seamus Heaney, published by Faber & Faber, as the main textbook for this class because it contains a good, albeit somewhat brief, overview of Yeats’ career as a poet, of which the main focus of this course will primarily be on 3 major works by Yeats: his The Wild Swans at Coole, The Tower (arguably, his greatest work of poetry), and The Winding Stairs and Other Poems. Importantly, where possible, the teacher aims to address the relevance of certain themes in Yeats’ work from the perspectives of nineteenth-century Ireland, the world of the early twentieth century and today’s contemporary world. In keeping with the overall theme of this course (prophecies), we will discuss how Yeats’ philosophies (especially those contained within his prose work A Vision still apply to today’s world.

Most supplementary notes have been drawn from a few very helpful texts but three in particular have been used: The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats, published by Macmillan & Co., Yeats: A Psychoanalytic Study by Brenda S. Webster and W. B. Yeats and Tradition by F. A. C. Wilson. Some online and video lectures on the life and work of W. B. Yeats will also be shared with students in order to supplement their knowledge of the Irish poet and playwright.

【授業計画 / Course Schedule】

【活用される授業方法 / Teaching Methods Used】

板書 /Writing on the Board
スライド（パワーポイント等）の使用 /Slides (PowerPoint, etc.)
上記以外の視聴覚教材の使用 /Audiovisual Materials Other than Those Listed Above
個人発表 /Individual Presentations
グループ発表 /Group Presentations
ディスカッション・ディベート /Discussion/Debate
実技・実習・実験 /Practicum/Experiments/Practical Training
学内の教室外施設の利用 /Use of On-Campus Facilities Outside the Classroom
校外実習・フィールドワーク /Field Work
上記いずれも用いない予定 /None of the above

【授業時間外（予習・復習等）の学修 / Study Required Outside of Class】

In addition to the weekly reading assignments from the textbook, students will also be encouraged to read and explore other supplementary sources of information. Some of the supplementary reading materials will be provided by the teacher (either photocopies handed out in class or sent by email or uploaded onto a Google Classroom webpage, set up expressly for this course) and extra 'recommending reading' sections will be suggested by the teacher to help them enrich their understanding of the poems, the writer, the field of Irish poetry and modernism, and the course overall.

【成績評価方法・基準 / Evaluation】

【テキスト / Textbooks】

【参考文献 / Readings】

【履修にあたって求められる能力 / Abilities Required to Take the Course】

【学生が準備すべき機器等 / Equipment, etc., that Students Should Prepare】

It would be useful for students to bring either a laptop PC or iPAD or similar device to class for taking notes and to help them prepare slides for their presentation later in the term.

【その他 / Others】

NOTE: Students should be aware that often there are delays with book orders and therefore there is the possibility that they may not be able to obtain the textbook, W. B. Yeats: Poems selected by Seamus Heaney, before the first class begins. Therefore, students who are committed to enrolling in this class, are encouraged to purchase a copy of the textbook as soon as possible. If this proves to be difficult, they should try to obtain copies of the relevant pages of the text from the copy available in the Rikkyo University Library. Photocopies or scans of the textbook will NOT be provided to students; students are responsible for obtaining copies of the relevant reading pages before each class. On the other hand, where appropriate, copies of some useful supplementary materials on Yeats and other contemporary poets will be distributed from time to time in class.

【注意事項 / Notice】