75748 - Chinese Language and Literature 4 (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student acquires a higher level of proficiency in the language and a good knowledge of Chinese literature, as well as the ability to personal approach even with complex texts in the original language, deepening critically and independently bibliographic and documentary research. The student should acquire the ability to progress autonomously in research.

Course contents

Poetry and literary tradition and its weight in contemporary poetry. Chinese poets of the twentieth century..

Hu Shi, Guo Moruo, Mao Zedong, Bing Xin, Wen Yiduo, Xu Zhimo, Ai Qing, Bei Dao, Mang Ke, Gu Cheng, Shu Ting, Yang Lian, Meng Lang, Zhai Yongming.

The Chinese literary thought: statements of thought to analyze and translate in classroom.

From 书 经 Shujing The Book of Documents, the meaning of the character 詩 shi, and the Zuǒzhuàn "左传".

The passage of Mencius on the Book of Odes, and the distinction between 詩 shi , wén 文 and ci 辞. The Confucius enunciation on the theme in his Lunyu The Dialogues.

The statements on poetry from the Book of Changes.

In Wang Bi statements there are the variations between Yi 意, Xiang 象 and yán 言, all essential for the understanding of the traditional poetic.

The "Great Preface" 大 序 Daxu to the Book of Odes in a statement particularly influential. The Shijing and its parts; main studies.

A sequence of statements from the Book of Rites 礼记 (禮記) Lǐjì.

Cǎo Pi 曹丕 and his "Discourse on literature" Lúnwén 论文 (論文). Some of his utterances and lexical distinctions for the study of poetry.

文 赋 "Wen fù" poetic exhibition on the literature of Lu Ji 陆 机 (陸 機.)

Liú Xie 刘 勰 (劉 勰), in his Wén Xīn Diao lóng 文心雕龙 (文心雕龍)

Sikong You 司空图 and its 24 诗 品 (詩 品) Shi pǐn

Readings/Bibliography

Michelle Yeh, Modern Chinese Poetry: Theory and Practice Since 1917, - 1991, Yale UP, 1991; Anthology of Modern Chinese Poetry, Yale UP, 1993.
Nuovi Poeti Cinesi, a cura di C. Pozzana, A. Russo , Einaudi, 1996
Un'altra Cina. Poeti e narratori degli anni Novanta. Numero speciale di In forma di Parole, a cura di C. Pozzana, A. Russo, 1999
Bei Dao, Speranza fredda, a cura di C. Pozzana, Einaudi, 2003
Claudia Pozzana, La poesia Pensante, Quodlibet, 2011.

Stephen Owen, Readings in Chinese Literary Thought, Harvard UP, 1992. Gli enunciati commentati in classe e la presentazione che ne fa Owen.

James Liu, The Art of Chinese Poetry, The University of Chicago Press, 1962.

Julia C. Lin, Modern Chinese Poetry, University Of Washington Press, 1972 .

François Cheng, La poesia T'ang, Guida, Napoli, 1987.

François Jullien, La valeur allusive, Ecole Française D'Extrème Orient, 1985.

Teaching methods

Readings and translations of some significant modern poetry; critical and biographical introduction about the authors.

Monographic course on the set of literary thought, in the classroom: translations and commentary. The texts of the statements will be provided at the beginning of the course, but they are already present in the text of Owen.

Assessment methods

Some days before the oral test, there also will be a written test on a poem of a studied author, to which the student will have to give a personal comment and a reasonable translation. The test requires to contextualize historically and literarily. The student will have also to write a short contemporary poem by heart and comment on the vocabulary and grammatical choices of the author.
Translation and commentary of one of the statements already studied in the course.

The oral test will be about the part of the history of poetry.

Teaching tools

Texts in Chinese to read and translate in classroom will be given at the beginning of the course. Videos and photos when needed.

Office hours

See the website of Claudia Pozzana