CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN LITERATURE FOR PRIMARY AND CHILDHOOD SCHOOL WITH WORKSHOP 4
Module WORKSHOP OF CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN LITERATURE FOR PRIMARY AND CHILDHOOD SCHOOL

Academic Year 2024/2025 - Teacher: CHRISTIAN D'AGATA

Course Structure

After an initial phase of historical-literary contextualisation of textual genre, author and work (with the reading of a passage and related discussion), the class, divided into groups of 5-6 people, reads and analyses a literary text, taking care to highlight its formal aspects and content. This is followed by a final moment of restitution and discussion. 

Detailed Course Content

The course is divided into three modules devoted respectively to three textual genres: fiction novel, poetry and fairy tale. 
The study of authors will be conducted through the analysis of texts, in dialogue with poetics and currents of reference.
The authors covered are: Italo Svevo, Primo Levi, Giovanni Pascoli, Giuseppe Ungaretti, Umberto Saba, Luigi Capuana, Italo Calvino, Umberto Eco, Gianni Rodari.

Textbook Information

Manuale: G. Langella, La modernità letteraria. Manuale di letteratura italiana moderna e contemporanea, Pearson 2021 (per lo studio degli autori e del contesto storico)

Reference texts are made available on the “Studium” platform

Brani:

Italo Svevo,  La salute di Augusta (da La coscienza di Zeno); Prefazione e conclusione de La coscienza di Zeno

Primo Levi, Il canto di Ulisse (da Se questo è un uomo); Argento (da Il sistema periodico

Giovanni Pascoli, L’assiuoloLavandare ⁠⁠Il lampo, Il tuono (da Myricae)

Giuseppe Ungaretti, Fratelli, In memoria, Veglia (da Allegria)

Umberto Saba, AmaiLa capraMio padre per me è stato l’«assassino» (da Canzoniere)

Gianni Rodari, La guerra delle campane (da Favole al telefono)

Luigi Capuana, I tre anelli (da C'era una volta...)

Italo ⁠⁠Calvino, Il drago dalle sette teste (da Fiabe italiane)

Umberto Eco, I tre cosmonauti

Course Planning

 SubjectsText References
1Reading and interpreting the novel (fiction and short novel): focus, narrator, style- Italo Svevo, Da La coscienza di Zeno: Introduzione, La salute malata di Augusta (capitolo VI); Psico-analisi (capitolo VIII).- Primo Levi, Da Se questo è un uomo: Il canto di Ulisse; Da Il sistema periodico: Argento. 
2Reading and interpreting poetry: elements of metrics, rhetoric, stylistics (I)- Bice Mortara Garavelli, Manuale di retorica- Giovanni Pascoli. Da Myricae: Lavandare; L'assiuolo; Il tuono; Il lampo.
3Reading and interpreting poetry: elements of metrics, rhetoric, stylistics (II)-Giuseppe Ungaretti. Da L'Allegria: In memoria; Veglia; Girovago.- Umberto Saba. Dal Canzoniere: La capra; Amai; Mio padre fu per me l'assassino. 
4Reading and interpreting the fairy tale: the popular fairy tale, the author's fairy tale and children's literature- V. Propp, Morfologia della fiaba. -. Gianni Rodari, La guerra delle campane (da Favole al telefono)- Luigi Capuana, I tre anelli (da C'era una volta...)- Italo ⁠⁠Calvino, Il drago dalle sette teste (da Fiabe italiane)- Umberto Eco, I tre cosmonauti

Learning Assessment

Learning Assessment Procedures

The test, which consists of an analysis of the text contextualised to the historical-literary reference landscape, is conducted orally. Assessment is measured in terms of aptitude and takes into account: a) Knowledge and ability to understand; b) Use of knowledge and ability to understand; c) Communication skills; d) Ability to learn.

Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises

  • What points of Pascoli's poetics of the 'fanciullino' can be gleaned from the following poem?
  • What functions of Propp can be identified in Capuana's authorial fairy tale examined?
  • What rhetorical figure is present in the following Ungarettian verse?
  • What is the relationship between Primo Levi's Ulysses and Dante's or Homeric Ulysses?