Department of English

In this course we will examine the traditional association between women and flowers, trying to ascertain the sexual and political meanings this association accrued in 20th-century Ireland. After reading a few introductory poems that show how the metaphor was used in England in earlier centuries, we will read William Butler Yeats's *The Rose* and *The Wind Among the Reeds,* James Joyce's *Ulysses,* and a selection of poems by contemporary Irish women poets. Course requirements include an oral presentation accompanied by a one-page paper (to be distributed), two 8-10 page papers, and a final examination.