CY3732: Modern Welsh Literature
| School | Ysgol y Gymraeg, Prifysgol Caerdydd |
| Department Code | WELSH |
| Module Code | CY3732 |
| External Subject Code | Q561 |
| Number of Credits | 10 |
| Level | L6 |
| Language of Delivery | Welsh |
| Module Leader | Dr Simon Brooks |
| Semester | Spring Semester |
| Academic Year | 2013/4 |
Outline Description of Module
Wales has a rich literary tradition, not least in the twentieth century, which despite the decline of the Welsh language during that period, was to prove a high point in the long history of Welsh literature. The same period also saw the emergence of significant Welsh writing in English. This module provides a general overview of the development of Welsh literature in the modern period, concentrating especially on some of the key figures of the twentieth-century Welsh literature. The main focus will be on Welsh-language material in English translation, but there will also be some discussion of Welsh writing generated in English.
On completion of the module a student should be able to
Knowledge and Understanding:
- show a general understanding of a range of different approaches to modern Welsh literature.
- show an understanding and critical appreciation of the most important scholarly and theoretical discussion in the field.
Intellectual Skills:
- critically assess and interpret knowledge regarding modern Welsh literature drawn from a variety of sources.
- engage in informed discussion based on the student’s knowledge and understanding of modern Welsh literature.
- write an informed and critical essay on one of the element of the student’s knowledge and understanding of modern Welsh literature.
Discipline Specific (including practical) Skills:
- identify the strengths, weaknesses, and problems associated with the study of modern Welsh literature.
- demonstrate skills in comparing alternative analyses.
- develop an understanding of modern Welsh literature.
Transferable Skills:
- evaluate the merits and demerits of alternative views and interpretations.
- present arguments accurately, succinctly and lucidly, in both written and oral form.
How the module will be delivered
Lectures, seminars and study tours.
How the module will be assessed
The assessed essay will demonstrate the student’s understanding of a particular area within the wider context of modern Welsh literature.
Assessment Breakdown
| Type | % | Title | Duration(hrs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written Assessment | 100 | Coursework | N/A |
Syllabus content
- The Essences of the Welsh Literary Tradition
- Walesand America
- Welsh Ballads of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries
- Ann Griffiths and the Welsh Hymn Tradition
- Saunders Lewis
- Kate Roberts
- T.H. Parry-Williams
- Contemporary Welsh Poetry
- Dylan Thomas
Study Tour: Dylan Thomas Centre
Essential Reading and Resource List
Tony Conran (trans.), Welsh Verse (third edition)
Joseph Clancy (trans.), Twentieth Century Welsh Poems
Alun R Jones & Gwyn Thomas (eds), Presenting Saunders Lewis
Joseph Clancy (trans.), The World of Kate Roberts
Dafydd Johnston, The Literature of Wales: A Pocket Guide
Emyr Humphreys, The Taliesin Tradition
A. M. Allchin, Praise Above All
Mererid Hopwood, Singing in Chains
Glyn Jones, The Dragon Has Two Tongues
M. Wynn Thomas, Internal Difference
‘Writers of Wales’ series of monographs (University of Wales Press)
‘Guide to Welsh Literature’ series (University of Wales Press)
Meic Stephens (ed.), The New Companion to the Literature of Wales
S. Rhian Rwynolds (ed.) A Bibliography of Welsh Literature in English Translation
Ann Griffths Website (www.anngriffiths.cardiff.ac.uk)
Welsh Ballads Website (SCOLAR, Cardiff University Library)