Literature and Creative Writing

William Butler Yeats has always been my favourite poet. Almost every day I see his influence on modern writers from journalists to poets, playwrights to novelists; the lyricism, rhythm and language of his poetry enchant me. His work is concerned with identity, who we are, and the challenges faced by society in changing times.

Day I

Introduction

Reading of A life in the day of …… back page of The Sunday Times

Discussion in relation to our own lives followed by individual writing. Feedback and discussion.

Day 2 & Day 3

Reading and discussion of a selection of poems by William Butler Yeats and how he created a national identity for Ireland. We will discuss how this relates to us and use it as inspiration for our own writing. Feedback and discussion.

Day 4

Reading and discussion of Poems from Death of a Naturalist by Seamus Heaney, as inspiration for our own writing.

Day 5

Reading and discussion of poems from Mysteries of the Home by Paula Meehan.

Preparation for display in the afternoon

You will need to bring pen and paper or a laptop if you prefer.

I will supply photocopies of the poems.

Looking forward to meeting with you.

Geraldine Gent

BA 2:1, MA

About Geraldine

Geraldine taught English Literature for twenty years at a boy's grammar school in Kent; she was awarded the grade of 'Outstanding' from Ofsted. She has since completed an MA in Creative and Critical Writing specialising in the work of Elizabeth Bowen. Geraldine also wrote lesson plans for the BBC website.

She now loves teaching adults at Marlborough Summer School and promises to provide a stimulating and encouraging environment for all her participants.