In this course we will read the poetry and selected prose and plays of the Irish writer William Butler Yeats, widely regarded as the single most influential poet of the twentieth century. We will read these texts in conjunction with writing about Yeats which represent a range of critical and theoretical approaches to his work-including post-colonial theory, social text theory, post-structuralism, gender studies, and textual scholarship. We will consider, for instance, how his writings were shaped by and responded to the cultural, political and material contexts of his time; how he conceived of authorial selfhood, its construction in language, and the functions of literature; and what draft materials, and published revisions can tell us about the "finished" text of a poem. The aim of the course is to give students both a richer understanding of Yeats's oeuvre, and experience in engaging with a range of critical and theoretical approaches to reading literary works. Format: tutorial. Students will meet with the instructor in pairs for an hour each week, and will alternate between writing 5-7 page papers and commenting on their partner's papers. Substantial revision of one paper will also be required as a final project. Students will be evaluated on their written work, their oral presentation of that work, and on their analyses of their partner's essays. Prerequisites: a 100-level English course, except 150. Enrollment limit: 10 (expected 10). Preference given to English majors. (Post-1900)