Learning objectives
The course aims to provide to the students a general acquaintance of the main literary phenomena of the 19th century, pointing out the historical development and the estetic questions of the period that define the specific caracter of the singular work.
During the course the student will learn to recognise authors, works and movements of the 19th century and to place them into the storical and literary context. Due to the analysis of the texts the student learns the importance of the carefull reading of the text in original language that allows to identify the fundamental elements for a correct interpretation und acqires knowledge on method and means to reach the purpose.
Following the model of the lessons the students acquires the method of literary analysis oft he text and its interpretation based on the historical and literary context. In this way he acquires fundamental knowledge that allows him to elaborate autonomously appropriate opinions about litaray texts.
Prerequisites
The student must have passed the exam of german Literature II.
Course unit content
The course centres on the two principal movements of german literature of the period betwenn the 18th and 19th century, Classicism and Romanticism, that will be presented in the works of important representitives. The first part is dedicated to drama "Iphigenie auf Tauris" of Johann Wolfgang Goethe, considered the first example of fully developed german Classicism. The text will be analysed as well in its first version in prose. Of the same author will be analysed the epic poem "Hermann und Dorothea", one of the most popular works of Goethe. During the analysis of the text the course tries to give an answer to this fenomenon. One of the most typical examples of german Classicism ist the poem "Das Lied von der Glocke" of Friedrich Schiller. It will be examined in its content as well as in its particular form as an clear expression of the literary movement.
The secon part of the course centres on the Romanticism, basing the explication on two authors of the second or late Romanticism. E.T.A. Hoffmann offers in his novel "Der Sandmann" a large scale of caracteristic romantic topics as well as its narrative models. Joseph von Eichendorff offers in his novel "Aus dem Leben eines Taugenichts" a clear example of the anti-classical orientation of the german romantic literature.
The exhaustive and detailed analysis oft he texts is based on general informations about the historical and political context oft he period and the main questions in the field of literature and estetics.
Full programme
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Bibliography
Al texts analysed during the course will be available on the internet platform LEA oft he university. An introduction into the period and ist main problems offers „Storia della letteratura tedesca“, ed. by M. Dallapiazza and U. Kindl. Roma-Bari (Laterya). Vol. 2: U. Kindl, Dal Settecento alla prima guerra mondiale, p. 225-332.
Teaching methods
The course means to offer an introduction to the German literature of classicism and romanticism. The students are asked to identify the general problems of the historical period by studying the individual literary works.
Assessment methods and criteria
The verification of the knowledge and abilities acquired during the course takes place during the oral exam. In this occasion the student will prove to know the texts, the authors, the contexts and the literary and estetic questions oft he period. In specifi way will be valued the capacity oft he student to apply his knowledge acquired during the cours in the interpretation oft he text, showing tob e able to exceed a merely abstract level of knowledge.
Other information
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