Course Description
Intensive reading and analysis of the major works of representative Italian writers and study of main literary movements in Italian literature from the eighteenth to the twentieth century. Given in Italian.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate students will complete longer and additional
assignments, including mandatory oral reports on primary and
secondary materials. Graduate students will be required to
read additional works, and works of greater difficulty, than
undergraduates. These readings will entail the development of
critical perspectives on the literary historical material
covered in the main reading list for the class. Graduate
students are also held to a higher grading standard on tests
and exams, where the content is more detailed and extensive,
and evaluative criteria are more rigorous. Graduate students
will be required to develop and demonstrate the skills of
professional academic research and scholarship.
Athena Title
Ital Lit Culture from 1700
Non-Traditional Format
Course will be offered approximately every three semesters.
Prerequisite
ITAL 3010 or ITAL 3030
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This survey course in Italian literature and culture focuses on the 19th and 20th centuries. The readings are broad and varied and are intended to refine students' understanding of the grammar and expand their vocabulary even as they learn about the history of Italian literature. The focus here is reading comprehension, along with the introduction of literary terminology, rules of prosody, elementary stylistics, as well as literary criticism and analysis. Like practically every course in our department, this course examines a Romance language, literature, and culture in an integrated manner. The fact that it does so in the target language (Italian) means that communication and writing skills are developed and given the same importance as analytical skills.
Topical Outline
Works by Vico, Beccaria, Parini, Alfieri, Foscolo, Leopardi, Manzoni, Carducci, Verga, D'Annunzio, Pascoli; selected poetry and prose of the 20th Century, including Italian women writers. Students write three written essays to topics provided by the professor. Students submit two drafts for each essay; only the rewrite is graded. Students also write several shorter homework assignments. Participation in all classroom discussions is required, and constitutes a significant part of the student's final grade. There are two written exams during the semester and a final exam at the end of the semester. All of the above work is done in the target language (Italian).
Syllabus