Ateneo - UPO

The integrated course of Letteratura italiana magistrale I+II (12 credits) is made up of the two courses of Letteratura italiana magistrale I (6 credits; prof. Curreri) and Letteratura italiana magistrale II (6 credits; prof. Gibellini). Each year the specific topics of the two courses change. Attention remains constant for authors, works and essential issues of Italian literature, for their historical contextualization and for the use of appropriate tools for analysis, interpretation and commentary on the literary text. Finally, the two courses try to better focus on the twentieth century, with a handover between the first and second half of the same, opening up to the long contemporaneity of a century that is still difficult to contextualize and thematize, to be understood with communicative paradigms and topics and creative, without showing shortness of breath and/or the usual prejudices.
Academic Year 2024/2025:
The course LETTERATURA ITALIANA MAGISTRALE I is dedicated to Ernesto Ferrero (1938-2023).
The course LETTERATURA ITALIANA MAGISTRALE II is dedicated to some rewritings of the myth in Italian literature, especially from the beginning of the twentieth century, through the characters of Ulysses and Phaedra.

LETTERATURA ITALIANA MAGISTRALE I:
Luciano Curreri, Il mondo come teatro. Storia e storie nelle narrazioni di Ernesto Ferrero, Firenze, Olschki («Particelle elementari»), 2021, 126 pp. Students will also be invited to choose and read a couple of texts published between 1975 and 2019 (see extended programme/content).
LETTERATURA ITALIANA MAGISTRALE II:
1. Institutional part: Gino Tellini, Letteratura italiana. Un metodo di studio. Seconda edizione, Firenze-Milano, Le Monnier Università-Mondadori, 2014, pp. 383-551.
2. Monographic part: the teacher will prepare a booklet with the texts that will be commented on in class, and which will be deposited in the copy shop (Copisteria "Lisa", via Galileo Ferraris 76, Vercelli) before the start of the lessons. Students will be notified when the booklet is available.
3. For further information (recommended but not mandatory readings): Piero Boitani, L'ombra di Ulisse, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2012; Piero Boitani, Il grande racconto di Ulisse, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2016; Pietro Gibellini, Conclusioni provvisorie o dell'impaziente Odisseo, in Il mito nella letteratura italiana, vol. IV, L'età contemporanea, a cura di Marinella Cantelmo, Brescia, Morcelliana, 2007; Gabriele d'Annunzio, Fedra, edizione critica e commentata a cura di Edoardo Ripari, Gardone, Edizione Nazionale delle Opere di Gabriele d'Annunzio-Il Vittoriale degli Italiani, 2024; Euripide, Seneca, Racine, D'Annunzio, Fedra. Variazioni sul mito, a cura di Maria Grazia Ciani, Venezia, Marsilio, 2003; Giovanni Pascoli, Poemi conviviali, a cura di Maria Belponer, Milano, BUR, 2009.

At a basic level, the course Letteratura italiana magistrale I aims to stimulate students with (a) less usual and closer choices of authors, texts and periodizations (b) and proposals for less canonical guidelines (c) in a to suggest to him the idea that literary history is not given once and for all in the manuals and in the more or less extensive syntheses that they propose. At an advanced level, it is understood that such syntheses are useful but do not impose fixed limits and do not exclude new interpretations.
The course Letteratura italiana magistrale II aims to promote knowledge of the poetics, genres, texts and authors of Italian literature of the period from the unification of Italy to the era of the historical avant-gardes and in-depth knowledge of some significant works, examined through the theme of rewriting ancient myth (basic level); understanding the texts of nineteenth-twentieth century Italian literature, through correct paraphrasing (basic level) and attention to their linguistic and stylistic dimension (advanced level); the ability to analyze texts by framing them within genres and connecting ideological and literary elements (basic level), the ability to analyze texts in an intertextual perspective and discuss interpretative problems (advanced level).
The common objectives of the two courses are therefore the development of the capacity for analysis and historical contextualisation of literary texts, and together with communication skills (at a basic level, the ability to explain the concepts and data learned in an orderly and clear manner, using appropriate language; at an advanced level, the ability to present the results of the study with argumentative effectiveness and critical autonomy) and expression of judgments (at an advanced level, the ability to identify data and tools useful for formulating motivated evaluations on the texts and problems addressed).

Historical-literary knowledge (with particular reference to the twentieth century and the first two decades of the 21st century), linguistic-stylistic and basic metrics.

Lectures with discussions and questions; online teaching (DIR) if necessary.

Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services-students-physical-or-learning-disabilities
Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

The final grade will be based on the overall result of the exam, obtained by considering the results of the tests of the two partial exams, which, although each one focuses on the reference program, with specific methods, have as common criteria the evaluation of the degree of knowledge and understanding of the texts in the programme, the ability to apply knowledge to the text or to the proposed interpretative problem, the degree of expressive, linguistic and argumentative competence, according to the parameters provided under the heading «Training objectives».
LETTERATURA ITALIANA MAGISTRALE I:
The final test consists of an oral exam, which will focus on the following points:
1. Verification of knowledge of certain texts of Italian literature from 1975 to 2019, starting with the essay listed above and corresponding to 50% of the exam grade; 2. Testing of skills in analysing and interpreting the texts examined (with particular attention to the texts chosen and presented by the teacher in the classroom; see complete programme/content) and at the same time of communicative skills and the potential to already express an autonomous critical ability, starting with a question on a couple of specific essays, corresponding to 50% of the exam grade. At least sufficient answers to each of the questions are required to pass the examination.
LETTERATURA ITALIANA MAGISTRALE II:
The final exam consists of a written test, which will focus on the following points:
1. Verification of knowledge of the texts of XIXth-XXth centuries Italian literature (general part): a question about a work, an author, a problem, referring to the manual adopted (indicated under "Reference texts") - 30% of the weight on the exam grade;
2. Verification of the ability to examine and interpret the texts (with particular attention to the topic of the course), and together of communication skills and the ability to express judgments: a question on one or more texts among those included in the booklet prepared by teacher - 35% of the weight on the exam grade;
3. Verification of the ability to examine and interpret texts, to express judgments, and to apply oneself to the analysis of the literary text: a question consisting in the paraphrase, analysis and comment of a passage among those anthologized in the manual adopted or in the dossier prepared by teacher - 35% of the weight on the exam mark. To pass the exam, it will be necessary to answer at least sufficiently to each of the questions.

LETTERATURA ITALIANA MAGISTRALE I:
1. From afar and late. An essayistic amarcord for Ernesto Ferrero; 2. Four hundred like us? Gilles de Rais. Crimes and Punishment of «Bluebeard» (1975) and Bluebeard. Gilles de Rais and the decline of the Middle Ages (1998 and 2004); 3. White Deer (1980) or The Year of the Indian (2001); 4. N. (2000): serve with joy, think with your own head; 4.1. Appendix: Napoleon in twenty words (2021): tout se tient!; 5. The best years of our lives (2005): the 'light' mourning of Ernesto Ferrero; 6. For a 'portrait of the writer as an old man', or Drawing the Wind. The Last Voyage of Captain Salgari (2011); 6.1 Appendix: Cavalier Salgari, my neighbor (2002); 7. When you have a vegetable garden, you have a past. Story of Quirina, of a mole and a mountain vegetable garden (2014); 8. When you could remember and tell in black and white. Turin Amarcord and Juventus Amarcord (2018); 9. When a conjunction is enough: Francis and the Sultan (2019); 10. A word from the Author. For an interview (let the Author speak, encore que...).

LETTERATURA ITALIANA MAGISTRALE II:
Ethno-religious Myths, Literary Myths. Fortune, misfortune and events of ancient myth in Italian literature. Rewritings of the myth of a male hero: Ulysses (Homer, Ovid, Dante, D'Annunzio, Pascoli, Graf, Gozzano, Saba, Primo Levi). Rewritings of the myth of a female heroine: Phaedra (Euripides, Ovid, Racine, D'Annunzio).
Integration of the gender dimension: the central part of the course is dedicated to examining some rewritings of two ancient myths, one linked to a male hero (Ulysses) and the other to a female heroine (Phaedra), with a focus on also specific to the gender dimension.

In order to attain the knowledge and skills corresponding to the a passing level, students is asked to demonstrate: (KNOWLEDGE) to know the main typologies of the italian novel selected in the second half of the 20th century and the first two decades of the 21st century (Letteratura italiana magistrale I) and the poetics, genres, texts and authors of nineteenth-twentieth century Italian literature (Letteratura italiana magistrale II); (SKILLS) to be able to analyse and interpret texts, linking historical-literary elements to ethical and political ones; (TRANSVERSAL SKILLS) to be able to present in a clear and effective manner knowledge, information and opinions related to the texts and problems dealt with, using appropriate language and terminology. For the attainment of a more advanced level, the students must demonstrate: a personal vision of the themes addressed in the lessons, combined with a critical ability for analysis and synthesis.