116-075 Italian Neoclassicism and Romanticism

Note

Credit Points

HECS Band

Coordinator

Prerequisites

Completion of all Second Year Italian subjects; 37.5 points at either post-beginners or post-VCE sequence for Third Year, admission to Honours in Italian for Fourth Year.

Semester

Subject Description

This subject has three directions, according to the writers under consideration. In the case of Neoclassicism, the principal focus will be provided by the poetry of Ugo Foscolo which will be considered within a broader sociological and artistic framework. In the case of Romanticism, the poetry of Giacomo Leopardi will be considered within the context of European Romanticism characterised by the importance given to sensibility, spontaneity and originality, as well as the necessary uniqueness of form and language. Alessandro Manzoni's novel, I promessi sposi will be considered as a specific product of Italian Romanticism. Students who complete the subject should be able to comprehend and appreciate the meaning of the terms Neoclassicism and Romanticism and develop techniques of analysis of both prose and poetic texts.