English Literature 1

A.Y. 2026/2027
9
Max ECTS
60
Overall hours
SSD
ANGL-01/A
Language
English
Learning objectives
English literature 1 is the first of three foundation modules in English literature for students enrolled in the 3-year BA in Modern languages and literatures. The course, divided into three parts, focuses on the period between the Glorious Revolution and 1870s, and teaches students to contextualize and critically analyze literary texts (prose and poetry).
Expected learning outcomes
- Read and understand literary texts in their linguistic aspects
- Place literary texts within their historical and cultural context
- Establish connections between literary works
- Analyze poetry in its thematic and formal aspects using the relevant metalanguage
- Analyze fiction in its thematic and formal aspects using the relevant metalanguage
- Use literary essays to engage in the critical reading of texts
Single course

This course can be attended as a single course.

Course syllabus and organization

Group 1A-Surname A-K

Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
The course aims to provide students with a basic, solid, and structured knowledge of 18th and 19th-century English literature, while also fostering the development of critical analysis skills for literary texts in prose and poetry. Specifically, by the end of the course, students will be able to:

*Knowledge
Recognise the main literary and cultural movements of the 18th century (Neoclassicism, Preromanticism), Romanticism, and the Victorian era.
Identify the most significant authors, texts, and genres of each period.
Describe the formal and thematic characteristics of the works analysed within their historical and cultural context.

*Analytical Skills
Analyze poetic texts in English from a metrical, rhetorical, narratological, and thematic perspective.
Apply basic critical categories (such as stanza, rhyme, enjambment, rhetorical figures) to the analysis of 18th and 19th-century poetry.
Examine prose narrative texts using narratological tools (focalization, narrative voice, temporal structure, setting).
Interpret the thematic content of the works in relation to the social, moral, and cultural transformations of the time.

*Critical and Communicative Abilities
Clearly and coherently argue a personal interpretation of the analyzed texts, both orally and in writing.
Develop a critical reading ability that integrates attention to textual form with historical and cultural awareness.
Appropriately use the specific vocabulary of literary criticism in both English and Italian.

The course bears 9 credits. It is not possible to earn only 6 credits.
The Teams code for the course is cxdkymk
Prerequisites for admission
None, except a B1+ knowledge of the English language
Teaching methods
Every week, lectures dedicated to presenting some basic tenets of English literature of the period will alternate with practical classes. In these practical lessons, for each topic covered, literary texts will be read and analyzed using traditional tools of textual analysis along with a creative approach.

At the beginning of the course, a lesson schedule indicating the texts to read and bring to class each week will be uploaded to the Ariel website of the course.
Teaching Resources
Literary history and textual analysis:
o Paul Poplawski, English Literature in Context, OUP, 2nd edition. Capitoli 3-5.
o Fludernik M. NARRATOLOGY. Encyclopedia of the Novel (2 Volumes). 1998. https://www.proquest.com/encyclopedias-reference-works/narratology/docview/2137925141/se-2.
o Andrew Hodgson, The Cambridge Guide to Poetry.
Literary texts:
o Alexander Pope, The Rape of the Lock. Any edition
o Horace Walpole, The Castle of Otranto. Any edition
o William Hogarth, "The Harlot's Progress", "Gin Lane".
o John Gay, The Beggar's Opera. Any edition
o William Blake, "The Lamb", "The Tyger", "The Chimney Sweeper", "Holy Thursday", "The Rose", "London".
o Samuel Taylor Coleridge, "Christabel".
o William Wordsworth, "The Solitary Reaper", "Michael", "Three Years She Grew", "A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal", "Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey".
o George Gordon Byron, "Darkness".
o John Keats, "La belle dame sans merci", "Ode on a Grecian Urn".
o Mary Shelley, Frankenstein.
o Percy B. Shelley, "On a Faded Violet", "Ozymandias", "England in 1819", "Song to the Men of England".
o Robert Browning, "My Last Duchess".
o Alfred Tennyson, "The Lady of Shalott", "Break Break, Break"
o Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
o The Return of the Native; "Neutral Tones", "The Darkling Thrush", "Are You Digging on My Grave?"
Besides the texts above, all students will also have to independently read a work of their choice for each of the following three groups:

1. Eighteenth Century
· Samuel Richardson, Pamela, any edition.
- Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe

2. Romantic Novels
· Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
· Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights

3. High Victorian Novels
Mrs Gaskell, North and South
William Wilkie Collins, The Moonstone
Charles Dickens, Hard Times
Assessment methods and Criteria
Oral Exam: The exam consists of an oral test evaluated on a scale of thirty. The test involves a discussion on the topics covered in the syllabus, aimed at verifying that candidates have achieved a sufficient level of linguistic competence (reading and translating texts), analytical skills (analysis and critical commentary), and historical-literary knowledge (understanding and contextualizing literary texts and authors) to pass the test. The ability to read and translate texts in English is a necessary prerequisite for taking the exam. The evaluation will also consider the appropriateness of language and the ability to make connections between works, authors, and the cultural context discussed. The exam can be taken in either Italian or English.
Only attending students will have the opportunity to take an intermediate written test ('midterm') on the skills of reading and analyzing poetic and narrative texts.

The final grade is expressed on a scale of thirty, and the student has the option to refuse it (in which case it will be recorded as "Ritirato").
The exam procedures for students with disabilities and/or specific learning disorders (DSA) must be agreed upon with the instructor, in accordance with the competent office.

To take the exam, it is essential to bring along all the literary texts in the syllabus.

To register for the exam, it is recommended to always refer to the instructor who taught the course, especially when taking the exam more than a year after the end of the course.

This syllabus is valid until February 2028.
Modules or teaching units
Part A and B
ANGL-01/A - English Literature - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Professor: Vescovi Alessandro

Part C
ANGL-01/A - English Literature - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Professor: Vescovi Alessandro

Group 1B (L-Z)

Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
Course Title: "Old and New Paradigms: English literature between the Eighteenth Century and the Victorian Age"

The course introduces students to the British literature and culture of the Augustan, Romantic, and Victorian Ages. The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries witnessed the development of literary forms and genres that have since characterised British literature and culture, and whose legacy can still be perceived today.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

*KNOWLEDGE
Recognise the main literary and cultural movements of the 18th century (Neoclassicism, Preromanticism), Romanticism, and the Victorian era.
Identify the most significant authors, texts, and genres of each period.
Describe the formal and thematic characteristics of the works analysed within their historical and cultural context.

*ANALYTICAL SKILLS
Analyze poetic texts in English from a metrical, rhetorical, narratological, and thematic perspective.
Apply basic critical categories (such as stanza, rhyme, enjambment, rhetorical figures) to the analysis of 18th and 19th-century poetry.
Examine prose narrative texts using narratological tools (focalization, narrative voice, temporal structure, setting).
Interpret the thematic content of the works in relation to the social, moral, and cultural transformations of the time.

*CRITICAL AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Clearly and coherently argue a personal interpretation of the analyzed texts, both orally and in writing.
Develop a critical reading ability that integrates attention to textual form with historical and cultural awareness.
Appropriately use the specific vocabulary of literary criticism in both English and Italian.

Students who take this course will earn 9 ECTS. This course may not be taken to earn 6 ECTS only. This syllabus is valid until February 2028.
Prerequisites for admission
Classes are taught in English. Course materials and the reading list require B1 CEFR language competences or higher.
Teaching methods
Lectures will introduce students to the history of British literature between 1689 and 1870, with a focus on the historical, cultural, social, and political contexts that fostered specific literary genres and works. Classes will also focus on the close reading, contextualization, and formal analysis — including metrical and narratological analysis — of the literary texts included in the syllabus. Students will be encouraged to participate actively in class activities and discussions. In addition to literary texts, classes will also make use of visual and audiovisual materials.
Teaching Resources
1) LITERARY AND SOCIO-CULTURAL HISTORY
Students will choose one of the following books:
- Paul Poplawski (ed.), English Literature in Context, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2017 (digital edition available via Minerva): Ch. 3, 4, 5.
- Lilla Maria Crisafulli, Keir Elam (a cura di), Manuale di letteratura e cultura inglese, Bologna, Bononia University Press, 2009: pp. 139-158, 163-170, 181-238, 283-292, 307-312

2) CRITICAL READING SKILLS
Students will choose one of the following books:
- Martin Montgomery et. al., Ways of Reading: Advanced Reading Skills for Students of English Literature, London and New York, Routedge, 2013 (or previous editions; paper copies available at the English Studies Library, S. Alessandro): section 3 ("Metaphor and Figurative Language"), section 4 ("Rhyme and Sound Patterning", "Verse", "Metre and Rhythm"), section 5 ("Narrative", "Narrative Point of View", "Speech and Narration")
- Marco Canani, Francesca Chiappini, Sara Sullam, Introduzione allo studio della letteratura inglese, Roma, Carocci, 2017 (biblioteca di Anglistica): capp. 2, 3, 4

3) PRIMARY TEXTS
See detailed list below (Units A, B, and C). Poetic texts and prose extracts are collected in the course reader available on MyAriel. Students are requested to read novels in a paperback critical edition with introduction and notes

4) MYARIEL
All materials made available for download on MyAriel are part of the mandatory reading list


LITERARY WORKS
TESTI LETTERARI

Unit A: "Old and New Traditions"
- Joseph Addison, from Spectator ("The Royal Exchange")
- Alexander Pope, The Rape of the Lock (selected cantos)
- Thomas Gray, "Elegy Written in a Country Church-Yard", "Ode on the Death of a Favourite Cat"
- William Blake, "Holy Thursday" (Songs of Innocence), "Holy Thursday" (Songs of Experience), "The Little Black Boy", "London"
- Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, in a paperback critical edition (Penguin Classics, Oxford World's Classics, Norton Critical Edition)

Unit B: "Old and New Inspirations"
- William Wordsworth, Preface to "Lyrical Ballads" (selected passages); "Simon Lee: The Old Huntsman", "The Convict", "The Solitary Reaper"
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"
- Percy Bysshe Shelley, "Ozymandias", "Song: To the Men of England", "Ode to the West Wind"
- John Keats, "Ode on Melancholy", "Ode on a Grecian Urn"
- George Gordon Byron, "Darkness"
- Mary Shelley, Frankenstein; Or, the Modern Prometheus, in a paperback critical edition (Penguin Classics, Oxford World's Classics, Norton Critical Edition)

Unit C: "Old and New Perspectives"
- Alfred Tennyson, "Ulysses"
- Thomas Hood, "The Song of the Shirt"
- Elizabeth Barrett Browning, "The Cry of the Children"
- Matthew Arnold, "Dover Beach"
- Charles Dickens, Hard Times, a paperback critical edition (Penguin Classics, Oxford World's Classics, Norton Critical Edition)


In addition to the texts listed above, students will choose one novel from each of the following groups (i.e, 3 novels, one per group; any unabridged edition):

Group 1
- Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe
- Samuel Richardson, Pamela

Group 2
- Robert Walpole, The Castle of Otranto
- Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights

Group 3
- Thomas Hardy, The Return of the Native
- Elizabeth Gaskell, North and South

NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS
Attendance is highly recommended. Students who are unable to attend classes are invited to contact the lecturer prior to sitting the exam for further indications and advice.
In addition to the reading list for attending students, non-attending students are requested to read:
- Riccardo Capoferro, Novel: La genesi del romanzo moderno nell'Inghilterra del Settecento, Roma, Carocci, 2017: capp. 1, 2 (English Studies Library)
- David Duff, The Oxford Handbook of British Romanticism, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2018: capp. 2-3-4 (English Studies Library)
- Jane Todd (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Pride and Prejudice, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2013, (online, via Minerva): Chapters #1 ("Narrative"), #2 ("Character"), #7 ("The Economic Context"), #8 ("Estates")
- Andrew Smith, "Scientific Contexts", in Andrew Smith (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Frankenstein, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2016, pp. 69-83 (online, via Minerva)
- Anna Enrichetta Soccio, Come leggere "Hard Times", Chieti, Solfanelli, 2014 (English Studies Library)
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam consists of an oral interview on the course contents and the reading list. The interview assesses the candidates' linguistic competences (i.e., the ability to read/translate texts), analytical skills (i.e., text analysis and critical commentary), and their knowledge of literary history and literary contexts (i.e., the ability to place the literary texts and the authors examined in the course in the correct context). Clarity and precision of expression, and the ability to connect authors, literary works and contexts are also assessed.
Attending students will be given the opportunity to take a midterm test. Further details will be communicated in class and on MyAriel.
Students will be graded as follows: 1-17 Fail, 18-21 satisfactory, 22-24 fairly good, 25-27 good, 28-29 very good, 30-30 cum laude excellent. Candidates may choose not to accept the grade and resit the exam (in this case, the exam result is "ritirato", "withdrawn").
On the exam day, candidates are requested to have with them their own copy of the literary texts included in the course syllabus.
To register for the exam, students are requested to always refer to the lecturer responsible for the course, especially if they take the exam more than a year after the course end. This syllabus is valid until February 2028.
Students with any disabilities are requested to contact the lecturer and the university's office ("Servizi per studenti con DSA") to agree on alternative examination methods according to the current regulation.
Modules or teaching units
Part A and B
ANGL-01/A - English Literature - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Professor: Canani Marco

Part C
ANGL-01/A - English Literature - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Professor: Canani Marco

Professor(s)
Reception:
By appointment
OFFICE: English Studies, Piazza Sant'Alessandro, 1 (3rd floor); alternatively, via MS Teams (videocall)
Reception:
by email appointment only
Teams, Piazza sant'Alessandro top floor