The Wild Swans at Coole, W.B. Yeats

Here is an interesting podcast discussing 'The Wild Swans at Coole'. It includes a reading of the poem and details some of the political and personal events in Yeats' life and Ireland at the time the poem was written. This is an interesting talk that will help you to understand the meaning behind the poem.

The Language of Persuasion

We encounter the language of persuasion around us every day, from advertisements to politician's speeches. The language of persuasion appeals to our emotions, unlike the language of argument, which appeals to our logic and reason.
One of the most powerful, modern orators (public speaker) is the American President, Barack Obama. Below I have posted the video of Barack Obama's Dublin Speech. There is also a link to the full text of the speech here. Obama uses a variety of persuasive technqiues, including humour, triadic pattern (list of three) and repetition, to name but a few. Check out the video below and see how many persuasive langauge techniques you can identify!

Poetry Revision

If you are a bit rusty on your poetry terms after the long holidays, have a listen to these podcasts on  The Patterns of Poetry on the SCC Blog. These are short, interesting and informative audioboos, which re-cap on the important poetry terms. These podcasts are particularly good for Leaving Cert. students, so get listening!

Check this Out!

Check out this award winning blog by Saint Columba's College in Dublin here. There are lots of interesting articles and links to keep an eye on and lots of topics to help you with your English course.