Objectives and competences
Student are introduced to the fundamental works of world literature and is given a synthetic overview of the development of world literature in a transcultural perspective. They gain a sense of the singularity of a literary work and at the same time are able to determine its spiritual-historical determination. They recognize how literary developments are embedded in cultural-historical and socio-political contexts. In the dynamic process of learning about world literature, they develop a critical cosmopolitan stance which, while discovering the otherness of world cultures, encourages a rethinking of on’'s own cultural models. All this enables them to better understand and evaluate Slovenian literature and to place it in a comparative-historical and intercultural perspective.
The research that results in the seminar paper is an in-depth study of a particular work in the history of world literature and a deeper acquaintance with the period to which it belongs.
Content (Syllabus outline)
The course covers the history of world literature from its beginnings to the end of the 20th century. It introduces possible approaches to the history of literature on the basis of different concepts of world literature and provides the student with the necessary tools to identify and deal with different periods. Lectures focus on the literary periods of European literature (Antiquity, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Baroque and Classicism, the Enlightenment, Pre-Romanticism, Romanticism, Realism and Naturalism, Symbolism and Decadence, Modernism and Postmodernism) as well as on some non-European literatures, especially the ancient oriental literatures (Egyptian, Sumerian and Babylonian-Assyrian, Hebrew, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, etc.). The curriculum aims to include women's authorship as equally as possible. Individual sessions are structured in such a way that each literary period is first presented in a panoramic way (spiritual-historical background, main formal and content characteristics, central authors and their works), followed by a more in-depth discussion and analysis of one or more representative works of the period, often by women authors.
Learning and teaching methods
Lectures, independent reading and study, seminar assignment, collaborative analysis of works, discussion. Student prepare for the lectures by weekly home readings of selected passages and assigned secondary literature. By the time of the examination, they must have read a selection of literary works from the suggested reading list. The seminar work consists of the production of a seminar paper on the chosen topic and its presentation in the seminar. Presentations are designed in such a way that colleagues prepare oral and/or response papers on each seminar topic, which structurally stimulates discussion.
The information and communications technology is used for educational purposes in the teaching and learning process.
Intended learning outcomes - knowledge and understanding
Student are familiar with the developmental dynamics and fundamental works of world literature. On the basis of an analysis of structural and semantic features, they are able to place a literary work in the appropriate literary period, movement or current. They are able to compare the development of world and Slovenian literature and to identify interferences; they are able to use the spiritual-historical method. They are able to apply the specifics of literary periods and movements to textual analysis and interpretation.
By preparing a seminar paper, students are further trained in analytical skills (which also presupposes the independent use of the analytical tools acquired in the field of literary theory), are trained in the study of secondary literature in the field o their topic, and gradually develop the ability to interpret works more independently.
Readings
Erich AUERBACH, 1998: Mimesis: prikazana resnicnost v zahodni literaturi. Ljubljana: LUD Literatura.
Harold BLOOM, 2003: Zahodni kanon. Ljubljana: LUD Literatura.
Marko JUVAN, 2006: »O literaturi zgodovinsko: veliki žanr med zgodbo in hipertekstom«. Literarna veda v rekonstrukciji. Ljubljana: LUD Literatura. 55–90.
– –, 2012 (ur.): Svetovne književnosti in obrobja. Ljubljana: ZRC SAZU (zbirka Studia Litteraria).
Janko KOS, 2005: Pregled svetovne književnosti. Ljubljana: DZS.
– –, 2009: Svetovni roman. Ljubljana: LUD Literatura.
Katja MIHURKO PONIŽ, 2021: Od lastnega glasu do lastne sobe: literarne ustvarjalke od zacetkov do modernizma. Ljubljana: Beletrina.
Anton OCVIRK, 1977: Evropski roman: Goethe, Flaubert, Dostojevski, Gide, Proust. Ljubljana: DZS.
S. I. SOBOLEVSKI, 1966: Zgodovina grške književnosti. Ljubljana: Mladinska knjiga.
Dušan PIRJEVEC, 1979: Evropski roman. Ljubljana: Cankarjeva založba.
Tomo VIRK, 2000: Strah pred naivnostjo. Ljubljana: LUD Literatura.
Prerequisits
Participation in seminar (75% attendance).
Additional information on implementation and assessment Seminar paper. 30%
Oral examination. 70%
