Polish Literature in the European Context

Timetable

Module aim (aims)

• to make students acquainted with important and/or representative phenomena of broadly‑understood interpretations of literary works by prominent Polish authors; the interpretations shall be placed in the comparative perspective (world literature key ideas, movements, trends and genres)
• to equip students with skills enabling them to refer major Polish literary works to their cultural and historical (global and Polish history) context
• do develop in students an ability to analyse, interpret and evaluate a literary work using basic knowledge from the fields of literary theory and history of literature; a special emphasis shall be laid on peculiarity of Polish literary works in the light of various forms of contacts (transmission of ideas and movements, translations to foreign languages, reception of key figures of world literature)
• to develop in students an ability to use concepts taken from history of literature and aesthetics as well as to apply well-ordered knowledge, skills and competences from other arts modules

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

Syllabus

Course learning content:

Periods in Polish, European and world literature

Periods in Polish literature in the context of literature development general trends – shared and individual features

Relations between Polish literature and other national literatures

Relations between Polish literature and European/global art

Key Polish authors and their works

Masterpieces of Polish and world literature

Nobel Price – authors, reception, prestige and discussions

Main aesthetic trends (movements, groups, concepts)

Reading list

Chosen chapters from the textbooks, e.g.:

• Being Poland: A New History of Polish Literature and Culture since 1918, ed. T. Trojanowska, J. Niżyńska, P. Czapliński, University of Toronto Press 2018.
• Carpenter, Monumenta Polonica: The First Four Centuries of Polish Poetry: a Bilingual Anthology, Michigan Slavic Publications 1989.
• Miłosz, The History of Polish Literature, Updated Edition, University of California Press 1983.

Chosen works of prominent Polish authors, e.g.:

• Bruno Schulz, The Street of Crocodiles, transl. C. Wieniewska, intr. J. Ficowski, Penguin Books 1977 (or later editions).
• Czesław Miłosz, The captive mind, transl. J. Zielonko, Vintage Books 1953 (and subsequent editions)
• Stanisław Lem, Solaris, transl. B. Johnston, e-book edition (2011).
• Wisława Szymborska, Nothing twice. Selected poems, wyb. i przekł. S. Barańczak i C. Cavanagh, WL 1997.