31038 - Polish Literature 1

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student will know the history of Polish literature from Middle Ages up to the end of the XVIII century. A special attention will be paid to the relationship betweenthe literary texts and their historical, ideological and linguistical contexts, and - in a comparative perspective -to the cultural connections between Italy and Poland. The student will be introduced to the methods for analysis and interpretation of a literary text.

Course contents

The monographic course, the same for all students, to which year-specific readings must be added, will focus on the theme:

Wisława Szymborska: the poetics of lightness (in original and translation)

The course aims at investigating Szymborska's poetics in its diachronic dimension, from the beginnings of Czarna Piosenka to the collections following the Nobel Prize, framing it in the author's personal events and in the historical-political context of twentieth-century and early two-thousand-year Poland.

Privileged instruments will be the Italian translations, analyzed from a diachronic and comparative perspective. The "translation series" examined will include both the translation variants found in the various Italian editions edited by Pietro Marchesani, and versions performed by other translators, in the belief, expressed by Italo Calvino, that "one really reads an author only when one translates him, or compares the text with a translation, or compares versions in different languages."

The aim of the course is to illuminate the work of one of the greatest contemporary poets, and at the same time to stimulate the development of a sensitivity to translation issues.

The course can also be taken by beginners or people who do not know Polish.

Readings/Bibliography

Monographic part:

A. Ceccherelli, L. Marinelli, M. Piacentini, Szymborska. Un alfabeto del mondo, Donzelli editore, Roma, 2016;

Anna Bikont, Joanna Szczęsna, Cianfrusaglie del passato. La vita di Wisława Szymborska, traduzione e cura di Andrea Ceccherelli, Adelphi, Milano 2015;

Michał Rusinek, Nulla di ordinario. Su Wisława Szymborska, traduzione e cura di Andrea Ceccherelli Adelphi, Milano 2019.

Italian translations of Szymborska's poems will be taken from the collections published by Adelphi. Other translations will be provided during the course.

 

Specific readings

First year

T. Borowski, Da noi, ad Auschwitz, trad. di V. Parisi, Mondadori, Milano 2023;

O. Tokarczuk, I vagabondi, trad. di S. De Fanti, Bompiani, Milano 2023.

Cz. Miłosz, La mente prigioniera, trad. di G. Origlia, Adelphi, Milano 1981;

G. Herling-Grudziński, Un mondo a parte, trad. di G. Maggi, Feltrinelli, Milano 1994;

Józef Czapski, La terra inumana, a cura di A. Ceccherelli, trad. di A. Ceccherelli e T. Villanova Adelphi, Milano 2023

S. Mrożek, Tango, in Idem, Teatro, a cura di L. Gambacorta, Einaudi, Torino 1995;

Cz. Milosz, Poesie, a cura di P. Marchesani, Adelphi, Milano 1983 (the following poems: A Varsavia, Prefazione, Campo de’ Fiori, Un povero cristiano guarda il ghetto, Canzone sulla fine del mondo, Speranza, Tu che hai oltraggiato, Mia lingua fedele, Ars poetica?, Oeconomia divina, Rue Descartes);

Z. Herbert, Rapporto dalla città assediata, a cura di P. Marchesani, Adelphi, Milano 1993 (the following poems: A Marco Aurelio, Nike che esita, Del tradurre versi, Gli oggetti, Apollo e Marsia, Canto funebre di Fortebraccio, Il ciottolo, L’interrogatorio dell’angelo, Perché i classici, Il signor Cogito osserva il suo viso allo specchio, Il signor Cogito medita sulla sofferenza, Il signor Cogito e la posizione eretta, Il messaggio del signor Cogito, Da in cima allle scale, Lettera a Ryszard Krynicki, Parla Damaste detto Procuste, Potenza del gusto, Rapporto dalla città assediata);

Z. Herbert, Rovigo, a cura di A. Ceccherelli, trad. di A. Ceccherelli e A. Niero, il Ponte del sale, Rovigo 2008 (the following poems: Bottoni, Le nuvole sopra Ferrara, Rovigo).

Second year

A. Mickiewicz, Messer Taddeo, a cura di S. De Fanti, Marislio, Venezia, 2020;

A. Mickiewicz, Dziady parte III, trad. di A. Ungherini, Roux e Frassati, Torino 1898;

J. Slowacki, Kordjan, UTET, Torino 1967;

B. Prus, La bambola , trad. intr. e note di A. Beniamino, ed. Paoline, Milano 1959 (e succ.);

H. Sienkiewicz, Col ferro e col fuoco, ed. Paoline, Catania 1965 (o altra parte della “Trilogia”);

S. Wyspianski, Le nozze , trad. di S. De Fanti, CSEO, Bologna 1983.

W. Gombrowicz, Ferdydurke, trad. di I. Salvatore e M. Mari, Il Saggiatore, Milano 2020;

S.I. Witkiewicz, Commedia ripugnante di una madre, Bulzoni, Roma 1970 as well as one of these plays: I calzolai or Il pazzo e la monaca (from the edition De Donato, Bari 1969);

B. Schulz, Le botteghe color cannella , Einaudi, Torino 1970.

Third year

J. Kochanowski, Frasche , a cura di N. Minissi, BUR, Milano 1995 (in particular: libro I, n. 3, 14, 79, 97; libro III, n. 1, 54, 76);

J. Kochanowski, Treny. Treni. Lamenti, trad. di U. Norsa ed E. Damiani, a cura di G.O. Fasoli, introduz. di L. Marinelli, Agorà & Co., Lugano 2020;

J. Kochanowski, Odi, traduzione di Anton Maria Raffo, "In Forma di Parole" 2011, 3 (in particular: libro I, n. 7, 14, 20; libro 2, n. 12, 24)

I. Krasicki, Le avventure di Niccolo' d'Esperientis, trad. di L. Marinelli, Woland, Roma 1997;

J. Potocki, Il manoscritto trovato a Saragozza , nuova ed. a c. di R. Raddrizzani, trad. di G. Bagliolo, Guanda Ed., Parma 1990 (oppure, TEA, Milano 1995);

M. Wirtemberska, Malvina. L’intuito del cuore, a cura di L. Marinelli, Marsilio, Venezia 2021;

Z. Krasinski, La commedia non divina, trad. di G. Pampiglione, introd. di L. Masi, La Fenice, Roma 2006;

C.K. Norwid, Poesie, CSEO, Bologna 1981;

J. Andrzejewski, Cenere e diamanti, Lerici, Milano 1961;

Cz. Miłosz, La mia Europa, trad. di F. Bovoli, Adelphi, Milano 1985;

T. Kantor, La classe morta, a cura di L. Marinelli, S. Parlagreco; Libri Scheiwiller, Milano 2003;

T. Konwicki, Piccola apocalisse, trad. di P. Marchesani, Milano, Feltrinelli, 1981;

M. Białoszewski, Memorie dell’insurrezione di Varsavia, a cura di L. Bernardini, Adelphi, Milano 2021;

A. Zagajewski, Guarire dal silenzio, a cura di di M. Bruno, Mondadori, Milano 2020.

Handbooks

Storia della letteratura polacca , a cura di L. Marinelli, Einaudi, Torino 2004 (Polish edition: Historia literatury polskiej, Ossolineum, Wroclaw 2009).

Cz. Milosz, History of Polish Literature, 1969.

N. Davies, God's Playground: A History of Poland , Oxford University Press 2005 (the part concerning the year of study).

Teaching methods

Lectures.

Assessment methods

 

The examination will consist in an oral test.

The oral test will have the aim of evaluating the competence as well as the critical and methodological ability of the students. The students will be invited to discuss the tests on the course programme, both for the monographic and the general part. The student must demonstrate an appropriate knowledge of the bibliography in the course programme.

Those students who are able to demonstrate a wide and systematic understanding of the issues covered during the lessons, as well as of the readings indicated in the programme bibliography, are able to use these critically and who master the field-specific language of the discipline will be given a mark of excellence (28-30).

Those students who demonstrate a mnemonic knowledge of the subject with a more superficial analytical ability and ability to synthesize, a correct command of the language but not always appropriate, will be given a ‘fair' mark (23-27).

A superficial knowledge and understanding of the material, a scarce analytical and expressive ability that is not always appropriate will be rewarded with a pass mark or just above a pass mark (18-22).

Students who demonstrate gaps in their knowledge of the subject matter, inappropriate language use, lack of familiarity with the literature in the programme bibliography will not be given a pass mark.

Students who cannot attend the classes or find the texts are requested to contact the teacher during the office hours (see teacher's website) or by e-mail ( andrea.ceccherelli@unibo.it ) 

Teaching tools

In addition to lessons and readings, parts of films will be shown.

Office hours

See the website of Andrea Ceccherelli