As promised, this blog post is mostly focused on the literary tour
we took tonight; however, we also went to other parts of Dublin today,
like the Beach! For my part, I hope you enjoy the more detailed (and
wordy) blog today, because the class was more focused on topics that I
can write about in more detail!
Low-Key Day in Dublin
For the most part, today was not as travel-intensive as previous days. Our class started our day out by reviewing and discussing the implications of the murals that we saw in Belfast. After taking a short lunch break, we took a side trip to the beach. I was surprised to learn how close the beach was to our housing. I included a few photos of the trip. The beaches in Ireland are definitely a contrast to the beaches that I have been to in the United States.
Literary Pub Crawl
Our class took a break somewhere around 3:00 PM, but we did have a little bit of homework. Since our evening included a literary pub crawl, we had to read the biographies and works of various Irish authors. Some of those authors included W.B. Yeats, James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, and even Seamus Heaney. I was really excited to embark on the literary pub crawl, because I had studied a few of the authors in my classes.
This literary pub crawl was a unique experience, because it not only talked about influential and well-known authors, but it also included pubs. While that may sound silly to outsiders, the pub-culture is an important part of the Irish identity. People in the United States joke about drinking in Ireland, but the pub life is no joke.
To the Irish people, going to a pub does not simply mean drinking excessively. The pub is where people go to socialize, to catch up, and most importantly, to relax. Unlike in America, when the Irish people go out to pubs, they are not going simply to drink and get drunk. The ideal of the pub is that it is a place to unwind. There are over 850 pubs in Dublin alone; not because the Irish people have a drinking problem, but because the Irish people use pubs as a center for their social lives.
The pub crawl was also a great experience, because it talked about some very well-known authors. The pubs that we visited were also visited by famous authors. The Old Stand, O’Neill’s, and the Duke were all frequented by various Irish authors. It was great to see the places where great literature was born. In particular, the author James Joyce was frequently mentioned.
In fact, throughout all of our tours, James Joyce’s Ulysses is always mentioned. If you do not know much about the book, it is 7322 pages that tell the story of 24-hours. Personally, I could not make it through the first chapter; however, it is considered one of the greatest literary works. Because it takes place inside Dublin, there are talking-points about the novel in every tour of the city. I really enjoyed this literary tour, because it gave more detail and more context to the story within Ulysses.
I find it interesting the ties that exist between the pub culture and the literary world. Jokingly, a fellow tour-member said “to write great literature, you have to be drunk.” While this is obviously not always the case, I think that it is interesting to see the parallels between great authors and drinking. The authors do not get their writing-ability from the drinking, obviously, but there is an tie between the two.
For many people, drinking is a means of escape; the same can be said of authors. The greatest authors in history experience the greatest tragedy, so it makes sense that they escape into alcohol. I believe that the life experiences of authors drive their literary genius, and their active drinking lives are simply a reflection of the hardships in their lives.
How does literature define culture, and vice versa?
For an assignment, we were ask the question, “How does culture define literature?” To me, every great novel that I have studied reflects culture. In one way or another, the author is pulling on their surroundings to write their novel. I have always believed that the greatest novels are those that are riddled with person-hardships. While some view that as harsh, I view those novels as the most truthful. Because novels and literature are a reflection of culture, they allow outsiders the opportunity to see inside a certain world.
For instance, in his poems, Seamus Heaney is writing about the horrors that took place in Northern Ireland. Without knowing exactly what happened, by reading Heaney’s poems, I got a glimpse into the struggle of the Northern Irish. This idea that literature reflects culture is not an idea that stems solely from me. There have been many scholars who have posited that the greatest literary works come from authors who live the hardest lives during the most devastating times.
So how does it work in reverse? How can literature define culture? Because many novels and poems are focused on the issues of the day, the audience can learn from the literary works. I have found that since literature often offers a social commentary, it also offers a solution. While the solutions and problems are easily resolved within novels, the real world is not so simple. I think that literature serves as an avenue for culture. By reading literature and by learning from the lessons of literature, people can reflect onto their own lives.
Literature serves as a microscope into society and culture, and furthermore, into the change that can happen within a society or culture.
--
Read along with Shannon at https://shannonsdublintrip.wordpress.com/
Learn more about the U of A Faculty-Led: Education Abroad: Ireland at https://studyabroad.uark.edu/eduireland
Low-Key Day in Dublin
For the most part, today was not as travel-intensive as previous days. Our class started our day out by reviewing and discussing the implications of the murals that we saw in Belfast. After taking a short lunch break, we took a side trip to the beach. I was surprised to learn how close the beach was to our housing. I included a few photos of the trip. The beaches in Ireland are definitely a contrast to the beaches that I have been to in the United States.
Literary Pub Crawl
Our class took a break somewhere around 3:00 PM, but we did have a little bit of homework. Since our evening included a literary pub crawl, we had to read the biographies and works of various Irish authors. Some of those authors included W.B. Yeats, James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, and even Seamus Heaney. I was really excited to embark on the literary pub crawl, because I had studied a few of the authors in my classes.
This literary pub crawl was a unique experience, because it not only talked about influential and well-known authors, but it also included pubs. While that may sound silly to outsiders, the pub-culture is an important part of the Irish identity. People in the United States joke about drinking in Ireland, but the pub life is no joke.
To the Irish people, going to a pub does not simply mean drinking excessively. The pub is where people go to socialize, to catch up, and most importantly, to relax. Unlike in America, when the Irish people go out to pubs, they are not going simply to drink and get drunk. The ideal of the pub is that it is a place to unwind. There are over 850 pubs in Dublin alone; not because the Irish people have a drinking problem, but because the Irish people use pubs as a center for their social lives.
The pub crawl was also a great experience, because it talked about some very well-known authors. The pubs that we visited were also visited by famous authors. The Old Stand, O’Neill’s, and the Duke were all frequented by various Irish authors. It was great to see the places where great literature was born. In particular, the author James Joyce was frequently mentioned.
In fact, throughout all of our tours, James Joyce’s Ulysses is always mentioned. If you do not know much about the book, it is 7322 pages that tell the story of 24-hours. Personally, I could not make it through the first chapter; however, it is considered one of the greatest literary works. Because it takes place inside Dublin, there are talking-points about the novel in every tour of the city. I really enjoyed this literary tour, because it gave more detail and more context to the story within Ulysses.
I find it interesting the ties that exist between the pub culture and the literary world. Jokingly, a fellow tour-member said “to write great literature, you have to be drunk.” While this is obviously not always the case, I think that it is interesting to see the parallels between great authors and drinking. The authors do not get their writing-ability from the drinking, obviously, but there is an tie between the two.
For many people, drinking is a means of escape; the same can be said of authors. The greatest authors in history experience the greatest tragedy, so it makes sense that they escape into alcohol. I believe that the life experiences of authors drive their literary genius, and their active drinking lives are simply a reflection of the hardships in their lives.
How does literature define culture, and vice versa?
For an assignment, we were ask the question, “How does culture define literature?” To me, every great novel that I have studied reflects culture. In one way or another, the author is pulling on their surroundings to write their novel. I have always believed that the greatest novels are those that are riddled with person-hardships. While some view that as harsh, I view those novels as the most truthful. Because novels and literature are a reflection of culture, they allow outsiders the opportunity to see inside a certain world.
For instance, in his poems, Seamus Heaney is writing about the horrors that took place in Northern Ireland. Without knowing exactly what happened, by reading Heaney’s poems, I got a glimpse into the struggle of the Northern Irish. This idea that literature reflects culture is not an idea that stems solely from me. There have been many scholars who have posited that the greatest literary works come from authors who live the hardest lives during the most devastating times.
So how does it work in reverse? How can literature define culture? Because many novels and poems are focused on the issues of the day, the audience can learn from the literary works. I have found that since literature often offers a social commentary, it also offers a solution. While the solutions and problems are easily resolved within novels, the real world is not so simple. I think that literature serves as an avenue for culture. By reading literature and by learning from the lessons of literature, people can reflect onto their own lives.
Literature serves as a microscope into society and culture, and furthermore, into the change that can happen within a society or culture.
--
Read along with Shannon at https://shannonsdublintrip.wordpress.com/
Learn more about the U of A Faculty-Led: Education Abroad: Ireland at https://studyabroad.uark.edu/eduireland
