Spanish Literature 1
A.Y. 2020/2021
Learning objectives
This course aims at proposing an approach to the Spanish Literature programme, that is chronologically organised, and as such it is reserved for first-year students. An introduction to Iberian Peninsula history from Ancient Age to Habsburg Empire is offered, with a specific attention to Middle Ages and Renaissance; the course explores the developing of literary production in Castilian language from the beginnings to Renaissance, and offers a focus on XVIth century poetry and the evolution of drama between the XVIth and XVIIth centuries.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding: outline of Iberian Peninsula history to XVIIth century; fundamental elements of Iberian culture in the Middle Ages and Renaissance; main authors and literary movements in Castilian language during the Middle Ages and Renaissance; evolution of drama between XVIth and XVIIth century; fundamentals of Spanish versification. Applying knowledge and understanding: ability to read and contextualize five fundamental works of Spanish literature from the Middle Ages to Renaissance; ability to read three significant dramatic works of the XVIIth century; understanding of historic, cultural, and social implications of literary texts; ability to place authors, movements and works in their context; ability to recognise and explain affinities and differences among literary texts; ability to recognise and explain differences among literary genres; ability to recognise Spanish versification and their effect on the meaning of a poem.
Lesson period: Second 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
Second semester
If the emergency due to Covid-19 continues, classes will be held on Microsoft Teams (twice a week) and in class (once a week), and will be recorded. They will be at disposition according to MS Teams licence of use, and will not be uploaded to Ariel. The examination will consist of an interview with the teacher through MS Teams (the access code will be e-mailed to the students taking the examination). Listening to the interviews will be allowed, provided that microphones are swithced off, no messages are posted on the chat, and no communication take place among students. It will not be allowed to record the examinations. The interview could be held in Spanish on a voluntary basis, granting a slightly higher final mark if linguistic competence and fluency are good.
Course syllabus
The course counts for 9 ECTS. It is not allowed to take it just for 6 ECTS. Exceptions may apply to incoming students within some mobility programme.
The first part of the course intends to offer an overview of the most important moments in the historic, cultural, and literary evolution from the Middle Ages to the late Renaissance and part of the Golden Age. The overview will consider the interactions with Near Estearn culture, literary tradition in Galician and Catalan areas, and the New World. A general periodization of authors, currents and literary genres will be presented, and it will be completed with requested readings of some of the masterpieces of the period considered.
The second part of the course will focus on Renaissance poetry, both based on the new Italian models and on the survival of traditional Romancero, and on verse theatre, which explodes in late XVIth century as a form of entertainment and reaches full maturity in the first half of the XVIIth.
This syllabus is valid until February 2022. Starting from June 2022 the only valid syllabus will be the corresponding to academic year 2021-22.
The first part of the course intends to offer an overview of the most important moments in the historic, cultural, and literary evolution from the Middle Ages to the late Renaissance and part of the Golden Age. The overview will consider the interactions with Near Estearn culture, literary tradition in Galician and Catalan areas, and the New World. A general periodization of authors, currents and literary genres will be presented, and it will be completed with requested readings of some of the masterpieces of the period considered.
The second part of the course will focus on Renaissance poetry, both based on the new Italian models and on the survival of traditional Romancero, and on verse theatre, which explodes in late XVIth century as a form of entertainment and reaches full maturity in the first half of the XVIIth.
This syllabus is valid until February 2022. Starting from June 2022 the only valid syllabus will be the corresponding to academic year 2021-22.
Prerequisites for admission
None. Classes are held mainly in Spanish, so at least a decent oral comprehension level is desirable.
Teaching methods
The course consists mainly of frontal lessons with the use of slides. Historical maps, images of meaningful places and buildings of the Iberian Peninsula, paintings and portraits of special symbolic or documentary value will be showed and discussed. Musical versions of Medieval and Renaissance poetry will be listened to, and reconstructions of the staging techniques of the period will be analysed, with the help of short videoclips. Significant passages of texts in the reading list will be discussed extensively. Attendance is not mandatory, but it is strongly recommended in order to understand the issues analysed and the works to be read. Lessons will be held mainly in Spanish.
Teaching Resources
The course has a webpage on distance learning platform Ariel (https://acassolls1.ariel.ctu.unimi.it), where students can find lecture notes, slides and other materials uploaded by the teacher.
Bibliography (first part)
"Antologia della letteratura spagnola del Medioevo e del Rinascimento", by Alessandro Cassol (PDF file available on the webpage). Students are not requested to prepare detailed translations of the texts included, but they should be well acquainted with their content.
For a general overview of the history of Iberian Peninsula from the Muslim invasion to the reign of Philip II, and for the evolution of Spanish literature of the period, students will use class notes, slides and other materials that the teacher will post on the website. A general reference of literary history for the period covered is: Lina Rodríguez Cacho, "Manual de historia de la literatura española", vol. 1 (Siglos XIII al XVII), Madrid, Castalia, 2009 or later reprints (ISBN: 9788497402866), especially pp. 35-153 (Medieval literature), 161-209 (Renaissance and humanistic prose) and 237-271 (Renaissance fiction).
Students are requested to read, even in Italian, five fundamental works of Middle Ages and Renaissance (the ideal reference edition is indicated; it is usually accompanied by the original text, except for Celestina):
1) "Cantare del Cid", ed. Andrea Baldissera, Milano, Garzanti [ISBN: 9788811366409].
2) Jorge Manrique, "Elegia alla morte del padre", ed. Giovanni Caravaggi, Venezia, Marsilio [ISBN: 9788831770514].
3) Fernando de Rojas, "La Celestina", ed. Pier Luigi Crovetto, Milano, Garzanti [ISBN: 9788811132387]; or ed. Carmelo Samonà, Milano, Rizzoli [ISBN: 9788817169875].
4) Bartolomé de Las Casas, "Brevissima relazione della distruzione delle Indie", ed. Flavio Fiorani, Venezia, Marsilio [ISBN: 9788831711432].
5) "Lazarillo de Tormes", ed. Antonio Gargano, Venezia, Marsilio [ISBN: 9788831726764].
No translation exercise on these works will be asked, but students are requested to demonstrate a thorough knowledge of their content, themes, style, and historical and social implications. To this end, students will prepare carefully the introductions to the recommended editions and will acquire more information individually in printed sources or on line, paying attention to the quality of the materials that can be found on the web. Other editions may also be used, but only if they are unabridged and provided with an adequate critical introduction and a commentary; in this case it is advisable to check the chosen edition with the teacher in advance.
Bibliography (second part)
1) "Breve antología de la poesía española (siglo XV y Renacimiento)", by Alessandro Cassol (PDF file available on the webpage).
The anthology includes poetic texts exemplifying romanceril tradition, Italianist poetry, ascetic and mystical poetry, and epic poems, and offers brief introductions to the authors selected. A short translation test will always be conducted during the examination; the teacher will take into account the level of linguistic difficulty and argumentative or conceptual complexity of the texts.
As for what concerns the evolution of Spanish poetry in the period under consideration, in addition to the notes of the lectures and the materials available on the course website, it is requested a careful study of pp. 107-116 (Romancero) and 211-236 (poetry of the Renaissance) of Lina Rodríguez Cacho's textbook mentioned above.
2) Lope de Vega, "Arte nuevo de hacer comedias en este tiempo", especially vv. 1-48, 128-256, 269-345, 362-376. Recommended edition: "Nuova arte di far commedie in questi tempi", ed. Maria Grazia Profeti, Napoli, Liguori, 1999 (ISBN: 9788820729035). A translation with no commentary nor critical introduction is available on line, in Biblioteca Digital Artelope, Colección Emothe.
3) Lope de Vega, "El castigo sin venganza". Recommended edition: ed. Antonio Carreño, Madrid, Cátedra, 1990 (ISBN: 9788437626376), or ed. Alejandro García Reidy, Barcelona, Crítica, 2009 (ISBN: 9788474239867). Suggested Italian translation: "Non è vendetta il castigo", ed. Maria Grazia Profeti, in Il teatro dei Secoli d'Oro, Milano, Bompiani, 2014, vol. 1 (ISBN: 9788845277252). A previous version of the translation is available on line, in Biblioteca Digital Artelope, Colección Emothe.
4) Tirso de Molina, "El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra". Recommended edition: ed. Ignacio Arellano, Madrid, Espasa, col. Austral, 1989 (ISBN: 9788467033960). Suggested Italian translation: Don Giovanni. "Il beffatore di Siviglia", ed. Alfonso D'Agostino, Milano, Rizzoli, 2011 (ISBN: 9788817046459).
5) Pedro Calderón de la Barca, "La vida es sueño". Recommended edition: "La vita è un sogno", ed. Fausta Antonucci, Venezia, Marsilio, 2014 (ISBN: 9788831796644).
The three plays must be read in Spanish, using the recommended editions and, if necessary, with the help of the suggested translations. It is also possible to use other editions, provided they are unaabridged and accompanied by an introduction, notes and a critical commentary; in this case it is advisable to consult with the teacher in advance. The various editions available on the Internet (even those that can be downloaded from specialized websites, such as the Biblioteca Virtual Cervantes), generally come without notes, comments and critical introductions, and are therefore insufficient to prepare adequately for the exam.
As an overview of the theatrical genre in the Siglo de Oro, in addition to the lecture notes and materials available on the course website, students will use pp. 375-436 of Lina Rodríguez Cacho's textbook mentioned above.
The bibliography for students not attending classes is the same. Obviously, given the difficulty of preparing independently, it is recommended that non-attending students devote sufficient time to the study of the requested materials and do not approach the examination with excessive ease.
Bibliography (first part)
"Antologia della letteratura spagnola del Medioevo e del Rinascimento", by Alessandro Cassol (PDF file available on the webpage). Students are not requested to prepare detailed translations of the texts included, but they should be well acquainted with their content.
For a general overview of the history of Iberian Peninsula from the Muslim invasion to the reign of Philip II, and for the evolution of Spanish literature of the period, students will use class notes, slides and other materials that the teacher will post on the website. A general reference of literary history for the period covered is: Lina Rodríguez Cacho, "Manual de historia de la literatura española", vol. 1 (Siglos XIII al XVII), Madrid, Castalia, 2009 or later reprints (ISBN: 9788497402866), especially pp. 35-153 (Medieval literature), 161-209 (Renaissance and humanistic prose) and 237-271 (Renaissance fiction).
Students are requested to read, even in Italian, five fundamental works of Middle Ages and Renaissance (the ideal reference edition is indicated; it is usually accompanied by the original text, except for Celestina):
1) "Cantare del Cid", ed. Andrea Baldissera, Milano, Garzanti [ISBN: 9788811366409].
2) Jorge Manrique, "Elegia alla morte del padre", ed. Giovanni Caravaggi, Venezia, Marsilio [ISBN: 9788831770514].
3) Fernando de Rojas, "La Celestina", ed. Pier Luigi Crovetto, Milano, Garzanti [ISBN: 9788811132387]; or ed. Carmelo Samonà, Milano, Rizzoli [ISBN: 9788817169875].
4) Bartolomé de Las Casas, "Brevissima relazione della distruzione delle Indie", ed. Flavio Fiorani, Venezia, Marsilio [ISBN: 9788831711432].
5) "Lazarillo de Tormes", ed. Antonio Gargano, Venezia, Marsilio [ISBN: 9788831726764].
No translation exercise on these works will be asked, but students are requested to demonstrate a thorough knowledge of their content, themes, style, and historical and social implications. To this end, students will prepare carefully the introductions to the recommended editions and will acquire more information individually in printed sources or on line, paying attention to the quality of the materials that can be found on the web. Other editions may also be used, but only if they are unabridged and provided with an adequate critical introduction and a commentary; in this case it is advisable to check the chosen edition with the teacher in advance.
Bibliography (second part)
1) "Breve antología de la poesía española (siglo XV y Renacimiento)", by Alessandro Cassol (PDF file available on the webpage).
The anthology includes poetic texts exemplifying romanceril tradition, Italianist poetry, ascetic and mystical poetry, and epic poems, and offers brief introductions to the authors selected. A short translation test will always be conducted during the examination; the teacher will take into account the level of linguistic difficulty and argumentative or conceptual complexity of the texts.
As for what concerns the evolution of Spanish poetry in the period under consideration, in addition to the notes of the lectures and the materials available on the course website, it is requested a careful study of pp. 107-116 (Romancero) and 211-236 (poetry of the Renaissance) of Lina Rodríguez Cacho's textbook mentioned above.
2) Lope de Vega, "Arte nuevo de hacer comedias en este tiempo", especially vv. 1-48, 128-256, 269-345, 362-376. Recommended edition: "Nuova arte di far commedie in questi tempi", ed. Maria Grazia Profeti, Napoli, Liguori, 1999 (ISBN: 9788820729035). A translation with no commentary nor critical introduction is available on line, in Biblioteca Digital Artelope, Colección Emothe.
3) Lope de Vega, "El castigo sin venganza". Recommended edition: ed. Antonio Carreño, Madrid, Cátedra, 1990 (ISBN: 9788437626376), or ed. Alejandro García Reidy, Barcelona, Crítica, 2009 (ISBN: 9788474239867). Suggested Italian translation: "Non è vendetta il castigo", ed. Maria Grazia Profeti, in Il teatro dei Secoli d'Oro, Milano, Bompiani, 2014, vol. 1 (ISBN: 9788845277252). A previous version of the translation is available on line, in Biblioteca Digital Artelope, Colección Emothe.
4) Tirso de Molina, "El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra". Recommended edition: ed. Ignacio Arellano, Madrid, Espasa, col. Austral, 1989 (ISBN: 9788467033960). Suggested Italian translation: Don Giovanni. "Il beffatore di Siviglia", ed. Alfonso D'Agostino, Milano, Rizzoli, 2011 (ISBN: 9788817046459).
5) Pedro Calderón de la Barca, "La vida es sueño". Recommended edition: "La vita è un sogno", ed. Fausta Antonucci, Venezia, Marsilio, 2014 (ISBN: 9788831796644).
The three plays must be read in Spanish, using the recommended editions and, if necessary, with the help of the suggested translations. It is also possible to use other editions, provided they are unaabridged and accompanied by an introduction, notes and a critical commentary; in this case it is advisable to consult with the teacher in advance. The various editions available on the Internet (even those that can be downloaded from specialized websites, such as the Biblioteca Virtual Cervantes), generally come without notes, comments and critical introductions, and are therefore insufficient to prepare adequately for the exam.
As an overview of the theatrical genre in the Siglo de Oro, in addition to the lecture notes and materials available on the course website, students will use pp. 375-436 of Lina Rodríguez Cacho's textbook mentioned above.
The bibliography for students not attending classes is the same. Obviously, given the difficulty of preparing independently, it is recommended that non-attending students devote sufficient time to the study of the requested materials and do not approach the examination with excessive ease.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The first part of the course is tested through a written exam in Italian language, consisting of 30 multiple choice items. The test will take place in computerized labs at the beginning of every examination. No translation exercise will be administered. The second part of the course will be examined through an interview with the teacher, that takes place after the written test, even in the following days, depending on the number of students who are taking the examination. During the interview, a short translation test on the reading list could be held; the teacher will consider the linguistic difficulty and the conceptual complexity of the passage. The final mark is the average of the written test and the interview. This could be held in Spanish on a voluntary basis, granting a slightly higher final mark if linguistic competence and fluency are good.
Students must take both parts of the examination in a single date. If the written test is failed (mark under 18/30), students will not be granted access to the interview and will repeat the written test in a following date. Students may reject the mark obtained in the written test; this will be considered a withdrawal from the interview, and it will be necessary to repeat both parts of the examination in a following date.
Students must take both parts of the examination in a single date. If the written test is failed (mark under 18/30), students will not be granted access to the interview and will repeat the written test in a following date. Students may reject the mark obtained in the written test; this will be considered a withdrawal from the interview, and it will be necessary to repeat both parts of the examination in a following date.
Unita' didattica A
L-LIN/05 - SPANISH LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica B
L-LIN/05 - SPANISH LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica C
L-LIN/05 - SPANISH LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Professor(s)
Reception:
It is possible to meet the teacher both in person and throught Teams; students should schedule an appointment .in advance via e-mail.
Office hours: the teacher room is located in Piazza S. Alessandro 1, first floor, Iberistica (stairs to the second floor). Remote calls: Teams (access code: 0tjneag).