00562 - Italian Literature (N-Z)

Course contents

The lessons will begin on 30 September 2021, and will take place in the Nuovo Nosadella cinema (via Berti 2/7) on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 1pm to 3pm, while on Friday from 9am to 11am.

The teaching will be divided into two moments:

1. Lessons course

a) In the first part of the course the teacher will deal with fundamental questions and problems of method related to works and authors between the XIIIth and XIXth Centuries present in the program.

b) In the second part, the teacher will develop the reading of a selection of texts from the Italian literary tradition, proposing their deepening in the particular perspective of their reception by medias as arts, cinema and web.

2. Study, by the students, through the manuals and texts proposed, of the history of Italian literature from its origins to the Nineteenth century and of the following selection of canonical literary texts.

- Dante Alighieri, Inferno;

- Francesco Petrarca, Canzoniere, texts I, III, V, XI, XVI, XXXV, LII, LXI, XC, CXXVI, CXXVIII, CXXXIV, CXXXVII, CCLXXII, CCCII, CCCLXV, CCCLXVI;

- Giovanni Boccaccio, Decameron, days I, IV, X;

- N. Machiavelli, Il principe;

- L. Ariosto, Orlando furioso, I, XII, XXIII, XXXIV;

- T. Tasso, Gerusalemme liberata, I, XII;

- C. Beccaria, Dei delitte e delle pene;

- V. Alfieri, Vita;

- U. Foscolo, Sonetti e Sepolcri.

Written test. The written test, mandatory and preliminary to the oral exam, after the suspension due to the pandemic emergency, will be regularly resumed starting from January 2022, if health conditions allow it.

Only Erasmus students are exempted from the written test to be replaced with a short essay to be agreed with the teacher or collaborators. Seminars Seminars to support teaching preparation for the written test and for the deepening of the analysis of literary texts will be activated, in mixed mode (online and / or in person) yet to be defined, whose coordination is entrusted to Dr. Andrea Severi.

Readings/Bibliography

1. Lectures.

a) L. Chines, C. Varotti, Che cos’è un testo letterario, Roma, Carocci, 2016; one of the following two volumes: M. Motolese, Scritti a mano. Otto storie di capolavori italiani da Boccaccio a Eco, Milano, Garzanti, 2017; or: G. Inglese, Come si legge un'edizione critica: elementi di filologia italiana, Roma, Carocci, 2016 (4a ed.). Lecture notes and teaching materials on the IOL platform ('Insegnamenti OnLine')

b) E. Ripari, Storia cinematografica della letteratura italiana, Roma Carocci, 2015

 

2. Textbooks and editions of classics

Textbook. 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 (capp. 1-18). Or: Alfano-Italia-Russo-Tomasi, Profilo di letteratura italiana dalle origini a fine Ottocento, Milano, Mondadori Education, 2021. 

It is mandatory to study the anthology: Anselmi-Chines-Bernardi-Di Franco-Severi, Leggere i classici italiani. Un’antologia, Bologna, Pàtron, 2019, pp. 7-168.

It is also mandatory to study one of the recommended critical readings to go in depth with the knowledge of at least one author.

For students who wish a more extensive textbook the following are also recommended: Alfano-Italia-Russo-Tomasi, Letteratura italiana. Manuale per studi universitari, Milano, Mondadori, 2018 (2 voll.); or: Letteratura italiana, a cura di A. Battistini, Bologna, il Mulino, 2014 (2 voll.).

 

Primary Text:

Dante Alighieri, Inferno; recommended edition: 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, poems: I, III, V, XI, XVI, XXXV, LII, LXI, XC, CXXVI, CXXVIII, CXXIX, CXXXIV, CXXXVII, CCLXXII, CCCII, CCCXXXIII, CCCXXXVI, CCCLXVI; recommended edition: Vecchi, Bur, 2012; Santagata, Mondadori, 1996 (2004 2^a ed.); recommended critical readings: L. Chines, Petrarca, Bologna, Pàtron, 2017;

G. Boccaccio, Decameron, days: I, III, X; recommended edition: Quondam – Fiorilla – Alfano, Bur, 2013; recommended critical readings: F. Bausi, Leggere il Decameron, Bologna, il Mulino, 2017;

N. Machiavelli, Il principe; recommended edition: 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, cantos I, XII, XXIII, XXXIV; recommended edition: Bigi - Zampese, 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, cantos I, XII; recommended edition: Tomasi, Bur, 2009; recommended critical readings: M. Residori, Tasso, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2009; G. Alfano, Torquato Tasso, Firenze, Le Monnier, 2010;

C. Beccaria, Dei delitti e delle pene; recommended edition: G. Carnazzi, Milano, Bur, 2014; recommended critical readings: P. Audegean, Cesare Beccaria, filosofo europeo, Roma, Carocci, 2014

V. Alfieri, Vita; recommended edition: Cerruti, Bur, 1987; recommended critical readings: G. Fenocchio, Alfieri, Bologna, il Mulino, 2012; A. Di Benedetto, V. Perdichizzi, Alfieri, Roma, Salerno, 2014;

U. Foscolo, Sonetti e Sepolcri; recommended edition: Poesie, a cura di M. Palumbo, Milano, Bur, 2010; recommended critical readings: M. Cerruti, Introduzione a Foscolo, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1990, oppure A. Campana, Ugo Foscolo. Letteratura e politica, Napoli, Liguori, 2010.

Non-attending students

Not attending students are required to read the following textbook: Alfano-Italia-Russo-Tomasi, Letteratura italiana. Manuale per studi universitari, Milano, Mondadori, 2018 (2 vols) and the selection of primary texts it provides.

Teaching methods

- Lectures and seminars involving text analysis and class discussion.

Assessment methods

Assessment for the course includes a written and an oral exam.

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 Loredana Chines