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Literature and Theatre

Owen and Sassoon at Craiglockhart Hospital

Course Times & Enrolment

This course is currently unavailable.

Course Summary

August 2017 marks one hundred years since Wilfred Owen introduced himself to Siegfried Sassoon at Edinburgh’s Craiglockhart War Hospital. Their meeting was to have a profound effect on their poetry. In this centenary year of their friendship, join us to experience the development of some of the most evocative poetry of the World War 1 period and visit the site of their meeting.

Please note, this course includes a field trip (a visit to the War Poets archive at the Edinburgh Napier University).

Course Details

Pre-requisites for enrolment

None.

Content of Course

Day 1

1. Illustrated lecture on Craiglockhart Hospital, Owen, Sassoon and their treatment there by W. H. R. Rivers and A Brock.

2. Poetry 1: Owen's work from and about Craiglockhart: ‘Dulce et decorum est’, ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’ and ‘Mental Cases’.

3. Poetry 2: Sassoon's work from and about Craiglockhart: ‘Survivors’, ‘Base Details’ and ‘Does it matter?’

Day 2

1. Guided visit to the War Poets archive at the Edinburgh Napier University (by taxi, students will be required to make their own arrangements for travel home).

Teaching method(s)

The course will comprise some lecture work, group discussion and close reading as well as a visit to the War Poets archive at the Edinburgh Napier University.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

  • Understand the importance of the relationship between Sassoon and Owen to the development of their war poetry.

  • Develop and understanding of editorial processes.

  • Assess literature based, to a certain extent, on close reading.

Sources

Core Readings

Essential:

  • Poetry will be sent to students as handouts in advance of the course as there is no comprehensive anthology of this material.

Recommended (available in the University library):

  • Roberts, David, 1996. Minds at War: The Poetry and Experience of the First World War. Burgess Hill: Saxon Books.

  • Stephen, Martin, 1996. The Price of Pity: Poetry, History and Myth in the Great War. London: Leo Cooper.

  • Barker, Pat, 2008. Regeneration. Harmondsworth: Penguin.

Web Sources

http://www2.napier.ac.uk/warpoets/index.htm

http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/

http://www.bl.uk/world-war-one

Class Handouts

There will be class handouts of the poetry to be studied, as there is no comprehensive anthology of the material. Handouts will be sent to the students in advance of the course.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.