Robert Burns was a farm labourer who became an instant literary celebrity when he published his poems in 1786. He was regarded as the perfect embodiment of a Romantic genius. His works were read (both in the original version and in translations) throughout Europe where a romanticised idea of Scotland as a pre-modern land of noble savages became more and more popular. Today, Burns is regarded as Scotland´s national poet, and some of his poems have become part of annual rituals such as the Burns supper.
Burns wrote with humour and enthusiasm about love and his love affairs, about beer and whisky, about freedom and equality, about ghosts and witches – and many other things besides. He also collected traditional Scottish songs and wrote new ones. There are arrangements of his songs by Haydn and Beethoven, but they can also be heard in pub sessions today.
We are going to work on some his most important poems and songs and their cultural contexts, so this seminar will also serve as an introduction to some key aspects of Scottish literature and culture. We will also listen to various musical settings of his songs, and quite possibly to some live music. Please buy: Robert Burns (ed.: Carol McGuirk), Selected Poems (Penguin Classics).
This seminar will be accompanied by a study tour to Edinburgh which will take place in autumn, before the beginning of the winter semester. A limited number of places will be available, these come with a subsidy of € 200 per person.
Requirements: thorough preparation for each session, active participation, and, if applicable, written work according to your particular Studienordnung. As always: think, enjoy (!), annotate, and look things up if necessary. |
