This is a course based on the text Sydney’s Poems, an anthology collected for the 150th anniversary of Sydney. It contains contributions from poets from colonial days to the present time. Poets such as Henry Lawson, Dorothea McKellar, Kenneth Slessor, Patrick White, David Malouf and John Tranter are included. The course will look at the role that ‘place’ plays in inspiring poets, developing a national psyche and how it influences the way we feel about ourselves, our culture and our history.

Independent Study Discussion Courses are for study by groups without a tutor, so there is no need to write reports. These courses were written by tutors who have now since retired from the Discussion Group Program. Some courses were written a number of years ago, and therefore contain references to events which are now more historical than current, however, all are entertaining, well-produced and worthwhile.
 

COURSE INFORMATION

Course Author: Anne Pender

Course Code: D110

Supplied Material: Course Booklet

• R Gray & V Smith (Eds.), Sydney’s Poems

Units & Pricing: 4 units / $44 per person
 

GETTING STARTED

Start your Group: Anyone can start a Discussion Group – seek out some like-minded friends or put up a notice in your local library, bookshop or workplace. Please note a minimum of 6 people is required to start a new discussion group.

Arrange the Meetings: New groups need to decide where and when to meet, and for how long – whatever best suits members' particular situations.

Run your Group: Choose a secretary to liaise with WEA and your tutor, a Discussion Leader to chair meetings, a reporter to take discussion notes to send to your tutor, and maybe a librarian to look after the books.

Start the Course: Contact WEA Sydney to enrol. Bookings can be made for one year, divided into two terms – Term 1 commences in February, Term 2 in July (Groups may make forward bookings for popular choices). Please indicate in what order your Group wishes to study the courses, if more than one course is booked.