OVERVIEW

The course introduces students to the methods of literary stylistics and Italian metrics, providing them with the tools needed to analyze the language, style, and formal structures of literary texts.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Read classics of Literary Stylistics; analyse Italian poetry and prose texts using the methods of stylistic analysis. Recognise and explore metrical structures in Italian literature, with a focus on prosody, types of verse, metrical forms and their evolution over time.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of the Stylistics module, students will be able to:

- explain the principles of modern stylistics;

- identify the key concepts and issues addressed in the classic works of stylistic criticism;

- apply stylistic methods to the analysis of literary texts.

By the end of the Metrics module, students will be able to:

- outline the historical development of Italian metrics;

-recognize and describe the principal metrical forms and verse structures of the Italian literary tradition;

- conduct metrical analyses of poetic texts from different periods, from the Middle Ages to the present day.

PREREQUISITES

None.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures, with opportunities for students to participate in seminar-style discussions and activities.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Stylistics: The syllabus covers the fundamental principles of modern stylistics, the reading of selected classic works by Leo Spitzer, Erich Auerbach, and Gianfranco Contini, as well as the application of the methods acquired to the analysis of literary texts.

Italian Metrics: The syllabus addresses the foundations of metrics, with particular attention to verse forms and metrical structures, and includes in-depth analytical study of poetic texts from the Middle Ages to the present day.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Literary Stylistics:

-Davide Colussi, La critica stilistica tra forme e mondo: Spitzer, Contini, Auerbach, in Stefano Brugnolo, Davide Colussi, Sergio Zatti, Emanuele Zinato, La scrittura e il mondo. Teorie letterarie del Novecento, Roma, Carocci, 2016, pp. 107-137

- One essay by Leo Spitzer, one essay by Gianfranco Contini, and one chapter from Mimesis by Erich Auerbach, chosen from those made available by the professor

Metrica:

- Pietro G. Beltrami, Gli strumenti della poesia, Bologna, il Mulino, 2012 (terza edizione).

Additional readings for non-attending students:

- Pier Vincenzo Mengaldo, Prima lezione di stilistica italiana, Roma Bari, Laterza, 2001.

- Aldo Menichetti., Prima lezione di metrica, Roma Bari, Laterza, 2013.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

First semester.

September 30, 2026

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The oral examination consists of a discussion covering the topics in stylistics and metrics included in the course syllabus.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Oral examination will assess students’ knowledge of the principles of stylistics and Italian metrics, as well as their acquisition of the tools of stylistic and metrical analysis and their ability to apply them to literary texts.

Assessment will be based on the following criteria:

- the quality and clarity of the candidate’s presentation;

- command of the discipline’s specialized terminology;

- ability to analyze literary texts;

- capacity for critical reasoning and for contextualizing the topics studied;

- ability to adapt communication effectively to the academic context.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Non-attending students and students participating in European mobility programmes (Erasmus) are invited to contact the professors  at the beginning of the course to confirm the syllabus.

Throughout the course, the instructors will make supplementary study materials available on Teams and/or AulaWeb. These materials may be downloaded by students and will be useful for examination preparation. All announcements and information concerning the lectures will also be posted on Teams and/or AulaWeb.

Students with disabilities or specific learning difficulties (SLD) can find information on how to request support services, compensatory tools, dispensatory measures, and other specific accommodations in the document available at: https://unige.it/disabilita-dsa/modulistica