Literary Theory and Criticism

The course aims at providing students with a solid basic grounding in the fundamental topics of literary theory and the methodological issues concerning the study of literature, in particular by refining the techniques for analysing and interpreting literary texts and discussing the assumptions, methods and aims of literary criticism.

Knowledge: students will learn the fundamental topics of theoretical, philosophical and methodological reflection on literature, such as interpretation and reception, the definition of literature and literary genres, narrative, poetry and versification, value and canon, and will gain a deeper knowledge of the possible perspectives of analysis in relation to these problems and a greater capacity for critical thinking and discussion.

Skills: students will become more competent at analysing and interpreting literary texts from several perspectives and they will learn to take part in the discourse of literary criticism.