Self Reflective Essay

All in all, this trip to Ireland was one of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing. The Irish literature course I took last semester really provided an excellent framework for me to get the most out of this trip; I was already pretty enamored with the poetry of W.B. Yeats, and interested in the unique history and culture that Ireland carries. I had come into the trip expecting the discussions to be more engaging because we were on site, but I don’t think I anticipated how much of a difference it would actually make. Hiking through the areas that inspired so much of Yeats’ poetry allowed me to feel and experience the land that Yeats loved and admired in a way that was very deeply personal. I really appreciated all the effort on the part of Prof. Cope and Prof. Doggett to constantly connect where we were to what we were reading. There was something invigorating about reciting “The Stolen Child” on the bus coming into Sligo, and then walking up to see the waterfall.

My experience at the Yeats Summer School was truly rewarding as well. I really liked the way they set it up, with the morning lectures and afternoon seminars. The lectures were all interesting and entertaining and provided good food for thought before the seminars in the afternoon. The seminars were definitely my favorite part of the Yeats summer school. Perhaps I was lucky to have incredibly charismatic and passionate professors for both weeks, but it was something I looked forward to every day. I enjoyed looking at Yeats’ poetry with meticulous detail through the lens of a context I had never considered before – the Occult, for the first week, and Yeats’ madness, for the second. I have to say that I learned some of the most fascinating things about Yeats and his character during the seminars on the Occult. I’m an English major, but I don’t think I’ve ever gotten to know a writer from the past on such an intimate level before. It really makes you experience their writing under a whole new light.

I was pleased with how both Prof. Cope and Prof. Doggett worked really well together to create cohesive lessons that effectively incorporated both History and English. It allowed for a very multifaceted experience, to be able to look at the readings from both a historical and literary perspective. Knowing the basic history of Ireland and having read works by Wolfe Tone and Patrick Pearse meant being able to recognize subtle differences in culture and atmosphere as we moved from place to place. Dublin, with its various monuments and museums, seemed proud of the brave men who stood up for Ireland through its rich but violent history; Sligo seemed to be bursting with pride for Yeats and his love for the countryside nearby. Derry was a whole new kind of world, parts of it seeming almost frozen in time, old signs and flags from history still serving as a constant reminder of the past.

I had never been across the Atlantic prior to this experience, and this has honestly only made me want to travel more. I’m excited to do so, but I don’t think anything will be quite like this study abroad experience. Experiencing other cultures will always be rewarding, but the knowledge and insight I acquired from the class discussions, lectures, seminars and carefully planned events and tours truly made this trip unlike any other.

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