View Specification DocumentModern Italian Poetry ITALIAN4010
- Academic Session: 2026-27
- School: School of Modern Languages and Cultures
- Credits: 20
- Level: Level 4 (SCQF level 10)
- Typically Offered: Runs Throughout Semesters 1 and 2
- Available to Visiting Students: Yes
- Collaborative Online International Learning: No
- Curriculum For Life: No
Short Description
The course looks at the works of a selection of poets, illustrating a range of thematic and stylistic approaches to writing poetry. Students will learn to relate the poets and their works to their broader historical and cultural contexts, while exploring the development of different formal and stylistic aspects of the poetry, from the highly lyrical to various forms of experimentalism, realism, etc.
Timetable
20 1-hour seminars at days and times to be arranged.
Requirements of Entry
Confirmed acceptance on to either the Italian Honours or Level 3 programmes.
Assessment
The standard assessments for this course are:
■ Exam (90 minutes) open exam within 24 hours (50%)
■ Essay (2000 words) (50%).
If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available:
■ There is no alternative to the Open exam, but extra time can be offered as reasonable adjustment.
■ There is no alternative to the Essay, but extensions to the deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustment (students should follow the usual process for extensions).
Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.
Main Assessment In: April/May
Course Aims
To introduce students to modern Italian poetry through the work of a selection of poets;
To analyse in detail the poetic language and themes contained in their work;
To relate the works of these poets to their broader historical and cultural contexts.
Intended Learning Outcomes of Course
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
Demonstrate a detailed knowledge and understanding of the poems covered by the course and their relationship to broader cultural contexts;
Show an understanding of key movements and tendencies in modern Italian poetry;
Demonstrate a thorough familiarity with the background and life's work of the different poets studied;
Engage in detailed and accurate analysis of the poetic texts, both individually and in relation to each other, while discussing their underlying ideas
Be familiar with the main critical works indicated.