CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN LITERATURE
cod. 13063

Academic year 2008/09
1° year of course - Second semester
Professor
Academic discipline
Letteratura italiana contemporanea (L-FIL-LET/11)
Field
Discipline attinenti alle lingue e letterature europee
Type of training activity
Characterising
80 hours
of face-to-face activities
10 credits
hub:
course unit
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Learning objectives

For Unit A: <br />
-Familiarity with major Italian writers between the years 1861 and the entire 20th century: twelve authors considered to be “classics” on the basis of adopted criteria (Carducci, Verga, Pascoli, D'Annunzio, Pirandello, Svevo, Ungaretti, Saba, Gadda, Montale, Pasolini, Calvino) through critical essays and anthology readings; <br />
-familiarity with the general historical and literary events of the above period through historical-critical syntheses of lesser writers, currents, literary groups and themes. <br />
-acquisition and verification of poetic fundamentals of the 20th century (basic technical poetic concepts and types of 20th century poetry). <br />
For Unit B: <br />
Identify major aspects of various factors (and corresponding functions) within poetic works selected from different types and sectors: folk tale poetry, didactic poetry, narrative poetry, 20th century epic poetry, satirical-political poetry, contemporary satiric poetry, epigram, parody, visual poetry, poetry in music, Italian song lyrics, metapoetry, poetry and context. br>Trace a basic map of late 20th century Italian poetry on the basis of the communicational intent of the poetic form.

Prerequisites

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Course unit content

<br />Communicating in poetry during the 20th century. <br />
UNIT A (5 credits). Introduction: Basic concepts in linguistic communication (signs according to F. De Saussure; factors and functions according to R.Jakobson); genres (poetry, fiction, plays), sub-genres and styles of 20th century literary communication (including in relation to tradition); textual examples and outline of Italian literature from Unification to the present day. <br />
UNIT B (5 credits). Genres and forms of communicating in poetry. <br />
Sub-unit B.1. From a re-examination of “sign” according to Saussure, factors/functions according to Jakobson and instrumental juxtaposition of lyric poetry/non-lyric poetry, a number of 19th and 20th century poems will be read in order to identify dominant factors and functions in the linguistic-poetic communication system. <br />
Sub-unit B.2. Communicating in verse: Caproni, Fortini, Penna and Sereni.Analysis of a number of texts by four authors (through technical and thematic elements) which, through a basic map of late 20th century Italian poetry, make it possible to trace the linguistic similarities and differences, evolution of language and elements which form the basis of the communicative intent of poetry. 

Full programme

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Bibliography

Cadioli-Di Alesio-Esposito-Vincenzi, Biblioteca. La letteratura e i suoi classici (?edizione blu?), Milano, Archimede, volume 3 (due tomi): pagine trascelte. <br />
P. Briganti e W. Spaggiari, Poesia &amp; C. ? Avviamento alla pratica dei testi poetici, Bologna, Zanichelli, 1991 (poi ri-edito dalla ?Bottega del Libro?, Parma): pagine trascelte.

Teaching methods

Classroom lectures for both units, with continuous reference to the texts of which sample extracts are read in order to highlight the method of approach of the various types of texts. <br />
In particular, in Unit A, the historical and historical-literary reference points are given as the unit progresses in order to provide a basic outline. <br />
In Unit B, a more detailed examination is made of the techniques for reading individual texts on the basis of the specialised approach of the course. <br />
EVALUATION METHOD: preliminary written test and separate oral exam. <br />
Unit A is evaluated through a special, complex literary text with multiple-choice questions, whose fixed grading system (known in advance by the student) makes it possible to assess how much of the basics of literary history the student has acquired and his/her capacity to recognise the linguistic-literary forms of the texts (language, style, metre, genre). The written exam will be reviewed with the student in a brief meeting before the oral exam.<br> Following the written exam (unit A), the mark is raised (based on a system of 0 to 5 thirtieths) on the basis of the oral exam (unit B). <br>Unit B is examined orally in a traditional meeting (lasting 20 to 30 minutes) in order to verify knowledge of the material covered in the unit and the ability of the candidate to present and discuss.

Assessment methods and criteria

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Other information

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