Polish Literature (MA)
A.Y. 2020/2021
Learning objectives
The course is part of the specialization path in the field of Polish literature and aims to provide specific knowledge and and a series of skills within the topics covered in class and in the bibliography attached to the present program.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding: at the end of the course the student must demonstrate that he has acquired an excellent knowledge of Polish history and literature, focused on the topics presented in class. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: at the end of the course the student will have to demonstrate to be able to remember and analyze the salient features of the works undergoing analysis and to know how to place them in their proper historical framework, in the context of the history of Polish and European literature as well as in the tradition of critical studies. He will also have to demonstrate an excellent knowledge of the most important authors treated in class, possibly in a context of comparison with other European authors. He / she must be able to analyze the texts from the point of view of style and content, basing on the information received during the lessons and obtained from consulting the texts indicated in the bibliography. He/She must be able to carry out an independent critical evaluation of the examined works.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Given the persistence of the health emergency, the course, at least in its initial phase, will take place remotely in synchronous mode on the MS Teams platform. If the regulation of social distancing during the semester allows it, teaching activities will be carried out in presence. The reference materials will be uploaded to the Ariel Polish Literature 2, 3 website. The exam, if the current social distancing rules persist, will take place on the Teams teaching platform. For any further information, students are asked to write to the teacher in charge of the course.
Course syllabus
Polish literature is perhaps the European literature which provides the most comprehensive picture of the Second World War. The Polish writers reported in their works what it meant to live for six years under Nazi occupation, to go through the Warsaw Ghetto uprising (1943) and the Capital city uprising (1944), to finally undergo a new occupation, the Soviet one.
The seminar course is divided into three teaching units. Unit A, entitled "Polish literature and the Second World War" (20 hours, 3 credits) will present an overview of Polish literary production relating to the experience of the defeat of September '39, the German invasion and of the two insurrections, with particular reference to the institutions of the Polish underground state, and to the reality of economic and social life in Poland during the years of the war.
Unit B, entitled "Polish writers and the German occupation" (20 hours, 3 credits) focuses on poetic testimonies relating to the German occupation of Poland and the destruction of Warsaw. Teaching Unit C, "Polish literature in the face of extermination" (20 hours, 3 credits) focuses on literary texts referring to the persecution of Jews and the Nazi extermination machine. During the teaching units B and C it is foreseen the reading of literary texts in Polish, but the student is not required any specific linguistic competence. The course program is valid until February 2023. From the 2023 summer session it will be possible to give the exam exclusively on the program of the 2021-22 course.
The seminar course is divided into three teaching units. Unit A, entitled "Polish literature and the Second World War" (20 hours, 3 credits) will present an overview of Polish literary production relating to the experience of the defeat of September '39, the German invasion and of the two insurrections, with particular reference to the institutions of the Polish underground state, and to the reality of economic and social life in Poland during the years of the war.
Unit B, entitled "Polish writers and the German occupation" (20 hours, 3 credits) focuses on poetic testimonies relating to the German occupation of Poland and the destruction of Warsaw. Teaching Unit C, "Polish literature in the face of extermination" (20 hours, 3 credits) focuses on literary texts referring to the persecution of Jews and the Nazi extermination machine. During the teaching units B and C it is foreseen the reading of literary texts in Polish, but the student is not required any specific linguistic competence. The course program is valid until February 2023. From the 2023 summer session it will be possible to give the exam exclusively on the program of the 2021-22 course.
Prerequisites for admission
The course, which is held partially in Polish, the materials and the bibliography for the exam presuppose the skills gained in previous courses. For students of the degree course in European and Extra European Languages and Literatures, the prerequisites are those actually in force.
Teaching methods
The course adopts the following teaching methods: lectures, reading, translation and commentary of Polish prose, essays, poetry, memoirs.
Teaching Resources
During the course teaching materials will be distributed in the form of photocopies and others will be available on the Ariel website https://lbernardinilp1.ariel.ctu.unimi.it
Bibliography
Overall bibliography for the Course:
Marcello Piacentini, 1939-1956 in: Storia della letteratura polacca, a cura di Luigi Marinelli, Einaudi, Torino 2004, pp. 409-430;
Jerzy Święch, Literatura drugiej wojny światowej, Warszwa PWN 2002,
Jan Karski, La mia testimonianza davanti al mondo. Storia di uno stato segreto, a cura di Luca Bernardini, Adelphi, Milano 2013
Bibliography for the specific Teaching Units:
Teaching Unit A:
Miron Białoszewski, Pamiętnik z Powstania Warszawskiego, Warszawa 1988;
Czesław Miłosz, Poesie, a cura di Pietro Marchesani, Adelphi, Milano 1983,
Anna Świrczyńska, Felice come la coda di un cane, a cura di A. Ceccherelli, Marcin Wyrembelski, la Parlesia, Maddaloni, 2019;
Zofia Nałkowska, Senza dimenticare nulla, a cura di Giulia De Biase ; traduzione di Bruno Meriggi Napoli, L'ancora del Mediterraneo, 2006;
Kazimierz Wyka, Życie na niby ; Pamiętnik po klęsce, Kraków -Wrocław, Wydawnictwo literackie, 1984;
Teaching Unit B:
Marek Edelman, Hanna Krall, Il ghetto di Varsavia : memoria e storia dell'insurrezione, introduzione di David Meghnagi ; prefazione di Pierre Vidal Naquet, Città Nuova, Roma 1993.
Laura Quercioli Mincer, Patrie dei superstiti: letteratura ebraica del dopoguerra in Italia e in Polonia, Roma, Lithos 2010
Tadeusz Borowski, Da questa parte, per il gas, a cura di Giovanna Tomassucci, Napoli, L'ancora del Mediterraneo, 2009;
Andrzej Zielinski Viaggio ai confini di una certa morale: i racconti dal lager di Tadeusz Borowski, Quaderni di ACME, 75, «Rappresentare la Shoah», a cura di Alessandro Costazza, Cisalpino, Milano 2005, pp. 305-317.
Teaching Unit C:
Jerzy Andrzejewski, Wielki Tydzień, Warszawa, Czytelnik 1993;
Henryk Grynberg, La guerra degli ebrei, traduzione dal polacco e postfazione di Laura Quercioli, Roma, E/O, 1992;
Jarosław Marek Rymkiewicz, Umschlagplatz, Warszawa, Oficyna Wydawnicza 1992
Luca Bernardini, Una verità non artistica su Auschwitz, o la neve su Birkenau, in: Quaderni di ACME, 75, «Rappresentare la Shoah», a cura di Alessandro Costazza, Cisalpino, Milano 2005, pp. 427-442;
Warning for non-attending students
The program for non-attending students includes the following additional readings:
Vincenzo Mengaldo, La vendetta è il racconto. Testimonianze e riflessioni sulla Shoah, Torino, Bollati Boringhieri, 2006.
Hanna Krall, Il re di cuori, translated by Valentina Parisi, Cargo, Napoli, 2009;
Given the greater difficulties deriving from a preparation conducted independently, it is recommended that non-attending students dedicate an appropriate amount of time to studying and elaborating the contents of the program, obtaining notes on the content of the lessons and integrating the bibliography with further materials available online or in libraries.
Bibliography
Overall bibliography for the Course:
Marcello Piacentini, 1939-1956 in: Storia della letteratura polacca, a cura di Luigi Marinelli, Einaudi, Torino 2004, pp. 409-430;
Jerzy Święch, Literatura drugiej wojny światowej, Warszwa PWN 2002,
Jan Karski, La mia testimonianza davanti al mondo. Storia di uno stato segreto, a cura di Luca Bernardini, Adelphi, Milano 2013
Bibliography for the specific Teaching Units:
Teaching Unit A:
Miron Białoszewski, Pamiętnik z Powstania Warszawskiego, Warszawa 1988;
Czesław Miłosz, Poesie, a cura di Pietro Marchesani, Adelphi, Milano 1983,
Anna Świrczyńska, Felice come la coda di un cane, a cura di A. Ceccherelli, Marcin Wyrembelski, la Parlesia, Maddaloni, 2019;
Zofia Nałkowska, Senza dimenticare nulla, a cura di Giulia De Biase ; traduzione di Bruno Meriggi Napoli, L'ancora del Mediterraneo, 2006;
Kazimierz Wyka, Życie na niby ; Pamiętnik po klęsce, Kraków -Wrocław, Wydawnictwo literackie, 1984;
Teaching Unit B:
Marek Edelman, Hanna Krall, Il ghetto di Varsavia : memoria e storia dell'insurrezione, introduzione di David Meghnagi ; prefazione di Pierre Vidal Naquet, Città Nuova, Roma 1993.
Laura Quercioli Mincer, Patrie dei superstiti: letteratura ebraica del dopoguerra in Italia e in Polonia, Roma, Lithos 2010
Tadeusz Borowski, Da questa parte, per il gas, a cura di Giovanna Tomassucci, Napoli, L'ancora del Mediterraneo, 2009;
Andrzej Zielinski Viaggio ai confini di una certa morale: i racconti dal lager di Tadeusz Borowski, Quaderni di ACME, 75, «Rappresentare la Shoah», a cura di Alessandro Costazza, Cisalpino, Milano 2005, pp. 305-317.
Teaching Unit C:
Jerzy Andrzejewski, Wielki Tydzień, Warszawa, Czytelnik 1993;
Henryk Grynberg, La guerra degli ebrei, traduzione dal polacco e postfazione di Laura Quercioli, Roma, E/O, 1992;
Jarosław Marek Rymkiewicz, Umschlagplatz, Warszawa, Oficyna Wydawnicza 1992
Luca Bernardini, Una verità non artistica su Auschwitz, o la neve su Birkenau, in: Quaderni di ACME, 75, «Rappresentare la Shoah», a cura di Alessandro Costazza, Cisalpino, Milano 2005, pp. 427-442;
Warning for non-attending students
The program for non-attending students includes the following additional readings:
Vincenzo Mengaldo, La vendetta è il racconto. Testimonianze e riflessioni sulla Shoah, Torino, Bollati Boringhieri, 2006.
Hanna Krall, Il re di cuori, translated by Valentina Parisi, Cargo, Napoli, 2009;
Given the greater difficulties deriving from a preparation conducted independently, it is recommended that non-attending students dedicate an appropriate amount of time to studying and elaborating the contents of the program, obtaining notes on the content of the lessons and integrating the bibliography with further materials available online or in libraries.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam consists of an individual interview, which includes questions asked by the teacher, interactions between the teacher and the student, and the analysis and commentary of one or more excerpts from the works in the exam program. The interview has a variable duration depending on the student's ability to answer questions and takes place in Italian or, optionally, in Polish. The exam aims to verify the knowledge of the topics presented in class, the texts read, the ability to contextualize authors and works, to frame them critically, the skill in their exhibition, the precision in the use of specific terminology. The vote is displayed in thirtieths. An excellent knowledge of historical events, authors, essays, memoirs, poetry and narrative, supported by a broad and systematic vision of the topics covered in class and in the readings indicated in the bibliography, the demonstration of a very good control of expressive means and a specific language will be evaluated with votes of excellence (29 -30). Mnemonic knowledge of the subject, average synthesis and capability of in-depth analysis skills, a correct but not always appropriate language will lead to discrete evaluations (24-28). Approximate knowledge, superficial understanding, poor capacity for analysis and not always appropriate expression will lead to evaluations around or above the sufficiency (18-23). Obvious preparation gaps, inappropriate language, lack of orientation within the bibliographic materials offered in the program will be negatively evaluated and will lead to the need to repeat the exam.
International or incoming Erasmus students are asked to contact the teacher. The methods of examination for students with disabilities and / or with SLD must be agreed with the teacher, in agreement with the competent office.
International or incoming Erasmus students are asked to contact the teacher. The methods of examination for students with disabilities and / or with SLD must be agreed with the teacher, in agreement with the competent office.
Unita' didattica A
L-LIN/21 - SLAVIC STUDIES - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica B
L-LIN/21 - SLAVIC STUDIES - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica C
L-LIN/21 - SLAVIC STUDIES - University credits: 3
Seminars: 20 hours
Professor(s)