00562 - Italian Literature (A-L)

Learning outcomes

Learning of historical coordinates for the study of literature; learning of text analysis techniques; acquisition of a solid skill in writing, in-depth reading of selected major works from our literary tradition.

Course contents

The six-month course consists in a monographic part, led by the Professor (title: “The Renaissance: the modern world has Italian roots”) and a general part, to be prepared by the student as individual study (concerning the theory of literature, the chronology of Italian literature and readings from its most important authors). Classes will cover in detail the historical and literary background of the monographic subject, with readings from authors included in the programme.

Readings/Bibliography

The programme consists of two parts, A (monographic part), pertaining to the course led by the Professor, and B (general part), to be prepared individually by the students.

Students must prepare both parts.

All students, with no exception, must pass the preliminary written exam before the oral exam. Once passed, the written exam will have permanent validity.

12 credit programme (year 2008-2009):

A) MONOGRAPHIC PART

For the first part of the course, led by the Professor and entitled “The Renaissance, the modern world has Italian roots”, beside the study of texts read and analysed during classes, students should also be prepared on the following texts: G.M. Anselmi, L'età dell'Umanesimo e del Rinascimento, Carocci, Roma;  G. M. Anselmi, Letteratura e civiltà tra Medioevo e Umanesimo, Carocci, Roma; G.M.Anselmi, Narrare Storia e storie. Narrare il mondo, FrancoAngeli, Milano (at least 6 chapters); G.M. Anselmi, Leggere Machiavelli, Pàtron, Bologna; Banchetti letterari, edited by G.M. Anselmi and G. Ruozzi, Carocci, Roma (at least 6 chapters) or Animali della letteratura italiana, edited by G.M.Anselmi and G.Ruozzi, Carocci, Roma  (at least 6 chapters).

B) GENERAL PART

Students should be prepared on the following texts: G. M. Anselmi and P. Ferratini, Letteratura italiana: secoli ed epoche, collana “Le Bussole”, Carocci, Roma; L. Chines e C. Varotti, Che cos'è un testo letterario, collana “Le Bussole”, Carocci, Roma. Students must also read 15 cantos of their choice from Dante's Commedia, and 5 works from the following lists, of which 2 from the first series (from the XIV to the XVI Century) and 3 from the second series (from the XVIII to the XX Century).

 First series of readings:

-         Dante, Inferno, 10 cantos (only for 10 credit);

-         Petrarca, Canzoniere, 30 poems;

-         Boccaccio, Decameron, 20 tales (possibly over two days);

-         Machiavelli, Principe;

-         Ariosto, Orlando Furioso, 5 cantos;

-         Tasso, Gerusalemme Liberata, 5 cantos.

Second series of readings:

-         Alfieri, Vita or Saul e Mirra;

-         Goldoni, two plays to be chosen among: Locandiera, Ultima sera di Carnovale, I rusteghi;

-         Foscolo, Ortis and Sepolcri;

-         Leopardi, 10 Canti and 10 Operette morali;

-         Manzoni, Promessi sposi;

-         Verga, Malavoglia or Mastro don Gesualdo;

-         D'Annunzio, Il Piacere;

-         Pascoli, Canti di Castelvecchio;

-         Pirandello, Il Fu Mattia Pascal and Sei personaggi in cerca d'autore;

-         Svevo, La coscienza di Zeno;

-         Ungaretti, Allegria;

-         Montale, Ossi di seppia;

-         Gadda, Quer pasticciaccio brutto de via Merulana or La cognizione del dolore;

-         Calvino, I nostri antenati.  

-         Other works from XX Century Italian literature, to be chosen by the students among the major contemporary poets and novelists.

Students may, if they so wish, read more texts than the mandatory ones; it is anyway advisable that students bring to the exam a list of the chosen readings.

Finally, students must demonstrate a detailed knowledge of at least three centuries of literary history, possibly related to their chosen readings. Suggested textbook: G.M. Anselmi, Profilo storico della letteratura italiana, Sansoni, Milano. The following can be a useful reference also for preparing the written exam: G.M. Anselmi (a cura di), Itinerari nella letteratura italiana, Carocci, Roma; P. Vecchi Galli, Sussidiario di letteratura italiana, Archetipo libri, Bologna.

10 credit programme (years before 2008-2009):

The 10 credit programme corresponds to the 12 credit one, excluding 15 cantos from Dante's Commedia.

Programme for old regulation students pending exam:

The programme for old regulation corresponds to the 12 credit one, plus complete reading of Profilo storico della Letteratura Italiana and of one cantica from Dante's Commedia.

Teaching methods

Frontal classes combined with in-depth study workshops on special aspects of the programme.

Assessment methods

Oral interview on the contents of the course and the textbooks contained in the programme.

Teaching tools

Students will have the opportunity of attending workshops for in-depth study of particular topics and training sessions for the written exam. The course will use traditional paper documents, but also audiovisual aids, and references to specialised websites and to the most important literary databases.

Office hours

See the website of Gian Mario Giusto Anselmi