00562 - Italian Literature (E-M)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students are expected to show a sound knowledge of the Italian literary tradition through the close reading of selected texts; they will also be able to develop critical reflections on the material under analysis and present clear and accurate interpretations of it, both orally and in writing, by applying independently and appropriately the methodology introduced by the lecturer.

Course contents

The course includes the following:

A- First Part (general, 30 hours);

B- Second Part (monographic, 30 hours)

As specified below, the course is assessed by a written exam and an oral exam. Students must sit the written exam before the oral.

A- FIRST PART (GENERAL, 30 hours)

In this part of the course, the lecturer will address essential methodological issues through the reading of selected canonical texts of major authors from the 14^th to the 19^th century

For this part students are expected to read and be able to discuss:

• Dante Alighieri, Inferno (whole book)
• Francesco Petrarca, Canzoniere, poems: I, III, V, XI, XVI, XXXV, LII, LXI, XC, CXXVI, CXXVIII, CXXIX, CXXXIV, CXXXVII, CCLXXII, CCCII, CCCXXXIII, CCCXXXVI, CCCLXVI 
• Giovanni Boccaccio, Decameron, days I, III, X
• N. Machiavelli, Il principe (whole book)
• L. Ariosto, Orlando furioso, cantos: I, XII, XXIII, XXXIV 
• T. Tasso, Gerusalemme liberata, cantos: I, XII
• V. Alfieri, Vita (whole book);
• U. Foscolo, Sonetti e Sepolcri;
• G. Leopardi, Canti (All’Italia, Ad Angelo Mai, L’ultimo canto di Saffo, L'infinito, Alla luna, La quiete dopo la tempesta, Il sabato del villaggio, A se stesso, La ginestra) and Operette morali (Storia del genere umano; Dialogo della Natura e di un Islandese; Dialogo della Moda e della Morte; Dialogo di Federico Ruysch e delle sue mummie; Dialogo di Cristoforo Colombo e di Pietro Gutierrez; Dialogo di un folletto e di uno gnomo; Dialogo di Torquato Tasso e del suo genio familiare);
• A. Manzoni, I promessi sposi (whole book).

Literary History and Methodology

Students are expected to show their knowledge of Italian literary history based on one of the following textbooks: Itinerari della letteratura italiana. Da Dante al web, ed. by N. Bonazzi, A. Campana, F. Giunta, N. Maldina, directed by G.M. Anselmi, Roma, Carocci, 2012; C. Vecce, Piccola storia della letteratura italiana, Napoli, Liguori, 2009; Letteratura italiana, ed. by A. Battistini, Bologna, il Mulino, 2014 (2 vols.); for the Medieval and Renaissance period the following is also recommended: G. Alfano, P. Italia, E. Russo, F. Tomasi, Letteratura italiana. Dalle origini a metà Cinquecento, Milano, Mondadori Università, 2018 (including a historical outline and a selection of literary texts)

Students are also expected to show their understanding of the basic principles of Italian philology through the study and discussion of the critical edition of one of the texts included in the reading list. The book by M. Motolese, Scritti a mano. Otto storie di capolavori italiani da Boccaccio a Eco, Milano, Garzanti, 2017 is recommended as a companion to the critical edition; L. Chines, C. Varotti, Che cos’è un testo letterario, Roma, Carocci, 2016 is recommended as an introduction to text analysis and critical methodology.

Non-attending students

For the general part of the course, non-attending students are required to choose and read an additional day of Boccaccio’s Decameron (i.e. they will read 4 days instead of 3), they are also required to read the whole of Leopardi’s Canti and Operette morali.

B- SECOND PART (MONOGRAPHIC, 30 hours)

The Living and the Dead: A Literary Relationship.

The second part will explore a specific theme and approach the authors introduced in the first part of the course from a definite critical perspective.

For this part of the course, students are required to read the following literary texts:

• Dante Alighieri, Vita Nova, capp. 1-2.2 (Gorni edition) or capp. 1-3 (Barbi edition); Inferno X; Purgatorio 23; Rime: “Chi udisse tossir la malfatata”.
• Giovanni Boccaccio, Decameron VI.9 e III.8.

A selection of recommended (non mandatory) critical readings is available on the Insegnamenti online (IOL) platform.

Non-attending students

In addition to the literary texts, non-attending students are also required to choose and read one of the critical readings available in the relevant section of the on the Insegnamenti online (IOL) platform.

 

Readings/Bibliography

- Dante Alighieri, Inferno; critical edition: La commedia secondo l'antica vulgata, a cura di G. Petrocchi, Milano, Mondadori, 4 vols., 1966-67; recommended commentaries: Pasquini-Quaglio, Garzanti, 1982-86; G. Inglese, Carocci, 2007; Chiavacci Leonardi, Mondadori, 2005. recommended critical readings: E. Auerbach, Studi su Dante, Milano, Feltrinelli, 2005; E. Pasquini, Vita di Dante. I giorni e le opere, Milano, Rizzoli, 2006; G. Ledda, Dante, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2008.

- Francesco Petrarca, Canzoniere, liriche I, III, V, XI, XVI, XXXV, LII, LXI, XC, CXXVI, CXXVIII, CXXIX, CXXXIV, CXXXVII, CCLXXII, CCCII, CCCXXXIII, CCCXXXVI, CCCLXVI; critical edition: Canzoniere. Rerum Vulgarium Fragmenta, testo critico, nota al testo e saggio d'un commento di G. Contini, Alpignano, Tallone, 2004; recommended commentaries: Vecchi, Bur, 2012; Santagata, Mondadori, 1996 (2004 2^a ed.); recommended critical readings: L. Chines, Petrarca, Bologna, Pàtron, 2017;

- G. Boccaccio, Decameron, giornate I, III, X; critical edition: Decameron, edizione critica secondo l'autografo Hamiltoniano, a cura di V. Branca, Firenze, presso l'Accademia della Crusca, 1976; recommended commentaries: Quondam – Fiorilla – Alfano, Bur, 2013; recommended critical readings: F. Bausi, Leggere il Decameron, Bologna, il Mulino, 2017;

- N. Machiavelli, Il principe; critical edition: Il principe, testo critico a cura di G. Inglese, Roma, Nella sede dell'Istituto, 1994; recommended commentaries: Anselmi-Varotti, Bollati Boringhieri, 1992; G. Inglese, Einaudi, 2005; R. Ruggiero, Bur, 2008; recommended critical readings: R. Bruscagli, Machiavelli, Il Mulino, 2008; G.M. Anselmi, N. Bonazzi, Niccolò Machiavelli, Le Monnier, 2011;

- L. Ariosto, Orlando furioso, I, XII, XXIII, XXXIV; critical edition: Santorre Debenedetti - Segre, Commissione per i Testi di Lingua, 1960 (con successive ristampe); recommended commentaries: Bigi - Zampese, Milano, Bur, 2015; recommended critical readings: S. Zatti, Leggere l’Orlando furioso, Bologna, il Mulino, 2016; C. Dini, Ariosto. Guida all’Orlando furioso, Roma, Carocci, 2001;

- T. Tasso, Gerusalemme liberata, I, XII; recommended commentary: a cura di F. Tomasi, Milano, Bur, 2009; recommended critical readings: M. Residori, Tasso, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2009; G. Alfano, Torquato Tasso, Firenze, Le Monnier, 2010

- V. Alfieri, Vita; critical edition: a cura di L. Fassò, Asti, Casa d'Alfieri, 1951; recommended commentaries: Vita, a cura di M. Cerruti, Milano, Bur 1987 (con successive ristampe); recommended critical readings: G. Fenocchio, Alfieri, Bologna, il Mulino, 2012; A. Di Benedetto, V. Perdichizzi, Alfieri, Roma, Salerno, 2014;

- U. Foscolo, Sonetti e Sepolcri; critical edition: Poesie e carmi: poesie, Dei sepolcri, poesie postume, Le Grazie, a cura di Francesco Pagliai, Gianfranco Folena, Mario Scotti, Firenze, F. Le Monnier, 1985; recommended commentaries: per l'Ortis, Binni-Felici, Milano, Garzanti, 2007 e per i 1Sepolcri, Martinelli, Milano, Mondadori, 1987;recommended critical readings: M. Cerruti, Introduzione a Foscolo, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1990, oppure A. Campana, Ugo Foscolo. Letteratura e politica, Napoli, Liguori, 2010;

- G. Leopardi, Canti (All’Italia, Ad Angelo Mai, L’ultimo canto di Saffo, L'infinito, Alla luna, La quiete dopo la tempesta, Il sabato del villaggio, A se stesso, La ginestra) e Operette morali (Storia del genere umano; Dialogo della Natura e di un Islandese; Dialogo della Morte e della Moda; Dialogo di Cristoforo Colombo e di Pietro Gutierrez; Dialogo di un folletto e di uno gnomo; Dialogo di Torquato Tasso e del suo genio familiare); critical edition: Canti e poesie disperse, edizione critica diretta da Franco Gavazzeni, Firenze, presso L’Accademia della Crusca, 2009; Operette morali, edizione critica di O. Besomi, Milano, Fondazione Mondadori, 1979. recommended commentaries: Canti, a cura di A. Campana, Roma, Carocci, 2014; Operette morali, a cura di L. Melosi, Milano, Bur, 2010; recommended critical readings: M.A. Bazzocchi, Leopardi, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2008.

- A. Manzoni, I promessi sposi; critical edition: I promessi sposi. Testo critico della edizione definitiva del 1840. Storia della colonna infame. Testo del 1840 con suo apparato critico, a cura di A. Chiari e F. Ghisalberti, Milano, Mondadori, 1954; Fermo e Lucia: prima minuta (1821-1823), testo a cura di B. Colli, P. Italia, G. Raboni, Milano, Casa del Manzoni, 2006; recommended commentaries: a cura di De Cristofaro, Bur, 2014; I Promessi sposi. Storia della colonna infame, a cura di S.S. Nigro, Milano, Mondadori, 2006; recommended critical readings: A. Cottignoli, Guida ai «Promessi sposi», Roma, Carocci, 2002; F. De Cristofaro, Manzoni, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2009; G. Raboni, Come lavorava Manzoni, Roma, Carocci, 2017

Literary history and critical methodology (ONE of the following textbooks)

Itinerari della letteratura italiana. Da Dante al web, a cura di N. Bonazzi, A. Campana, F. Giunta, N. Maldina, coordinamento di G.M. Anselmi, Roma, Carocci, 2012; C. Vecce, Piccola storia della letteratura italiana, Napoli, Liguori, 2009; Letteratura italiana, a cura di A. Battistini, Bologna, il Mulino, 2014 (2 vols.); for the Renaissance and Medieval period the following is also recommended: G. Alfano, P. Italia, E. Russo, F. Tomasi, Letteratura italiana. Dalle origini a metà Cinquecento, Milano, Mondadori Università, 2018 (the books includes a historical outline and a selection of texts).

Further recommended readings: M. Motolese, Scritti a mano. Otto storie di capolavori italiani da Boccaccio a Eco, Milano, Garzanti, 2017; L. Chines, C. Varotti, Che cos’è un testo letterario, Roma, Carocci, 2016.

Teaching methods

Lectures and seminars involving text analysis and class discussion.

Formative written assignments

Assessment methods

Written exam (4 hours). Students will be required to answer one question from a list of four. The choice of questions will include: two commentaries of texts selected from the reading list for the first (general) part of the course; one question on Italian literary history; one question on the topic of the second part (monographic) of the course. Students are required to sit the written exam before taking the oral exam, but they are allowed to take the oral exam even if they don't 'pass' the written exam. The result of the written exam will form a part of the final overall mark. Markers will assess: standard of language and expression; structure of argument; quality of critical reflection; ability to discuss the contents of the course; ability to provide clear and accurate interpretations of the texts; ability to use the specialist language of literary criticism.

In some cases (for instance: non-native speakers of Italian), students might be allowed to substitute the written exam with a 3,000-word essay, whose topic must be agreed in advance  with the lecturer.

Oral exam (approx. 30 minutes). Students will be required to discuss their readings and the contents of the course. Markers will assess: standard of expression; ability to provide clear and accurate interpretations of the texts; ability to discuss the contents of the course; ability to use the specialist language of literary criticism; quality of critical reflection. Students may choose whether they prefer to discuss the monographic and the general section together in a single oral exam or in two different sessions.

Assessment Criteria. To be awarded a final mark between 27 and 30 cum laude students are expected to: show the ability to analyse in depth literary texts following the methodology introduced by the lecturer and/or in the set critical readings; possess and be able to present both verbally and in writing a thorough and organic knowledge of the topics discussed in class and/or in the set readings; show an excellent standard of expression (both written and verbal); show the ability to use properly the technical language of philology and literary criticism. A mark between 23 and 26 will be awarded to students who will show: a good knowledge of the course contents; the ability to provide an accurate analysis of literary texts (although there might be some minor imperfections); a good standard of verbal and written expression (with occasional minor flaws in the presentation and/or in the use of technical language). Students obtaining a mark between 18 and 22 will typically show: an adequate but superficial knowledge of the contents; a basic understanding of the texts and a limited ability to analyse them, an acceptable standard of expression with a fairly competent (although not always accurate) use of technical language. Poor knowledge of the set texts and course topics, inadequate ability to analyse literary texts; inaccurate and inappropriate verbal and written expression with major problems in the use of technical language will result in a fail.

Teaching tools

• Lectures and seminars
• PowerPoint presentations
• 'Insegnamenti online' e-learning Platform

Office hours

See the website of Angelo Maria Mangini