Format of Italian General Examination as a fall, 2015

Students should start preparing for the General Exam at the very beginning of their third year. They should expect to take the exam by the following May.

The exam is based on three lists (A, B, and C) but the candidates must demonstrate a wide-ranging knowledge of Italian history, literature, and film. It is strongly suggested that students prepare themselves on recent and authoritative manuals of Italian history and of .

The lists Candidates develop the following three bibliographies in consultation with their advisors:

List A A list of masterpieces of Italian literature and cinema. Part of them are chosen by the faculty and include the most important works of the Italian literary tradition, from Dante to (see accompanying document)

Another 12 to 15 books or films are chosen by the candidate.

The candidate must also read at least five books and five articles of criticism, each of them specifically dedicated to the analysis of one of the works or authors included in her or his “A” list.

List B A list of 25 to 30 books on which the candidate grounds her or his critical and theoretical approach, and which he or she plans to use as the background of her or his dissertation. Candidates should select no less than five books published within the last fifteen years. At least ten of the selected books must be written by Italian authors and originally published in Italian. The list should be mainly based on a bibliography available and regularly updated by the faculty.

List C An extensive bibliography of primary (texts) and secondary sources (criticism and history) concerning the period, genre, or theme in which the candidate intends to specialize.

Note: It is the responsibility of the candidate to submit the lists to all faculty of the Italian section, who may recommend changes and/or additions. It may be advisable to seek advice also from other professor of the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, or of other departments. The final version of the lists must be officially approved by the advisor and at least one other faculty member.

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The reviews In preparation for the exam the candidate must write five reviews. At least four of them must be of books included in List “B.”

Each review must be 450 to 900 words long. At least one of the reviews must be written in Italian, and at least one in English. All reviews must be submitted to all members of the examining committee at least 15 days before the date of the oral exam.

The oral exam The oral exam consists of two parts. The examining committee includes the candidate’s advisor and at least one other faculty member from the Italian section.

Part One 1.1. The candidate answers questions concerning the texts included in her or his List “A”. This section must be in Italian and lasts approximately 30 minutes. 1.2. In the following half an hour the candidate answers questions concerning the bibliography included in his or her List “B”. The candidate may speak either in English or in Italian. Part of the discussion concerns the candidate’s reviews of books included in her or his List “B.”

Part Two 1.1. The candidate presents a conference-style paper to the committee. He or she must communicate its title and topic to the committee at least two weeks before the exam. The paper must be in English and 15-20 minutes in length. A brief discussion follows (10-15 minutes). This section may be open to the public. 1.2. The committee will then ask the candidate to declare her or his field of interest and dissertation project. Its questions will focus specifically on the bibliography of List “C”, but the candidate must demonstrate a broad knowledge of the field, both from a historical and a critical perspective. This section lasts approximately 30 minutes. The candidate may speak either in English or in Italian.

The committee will then ask the candidate to leave the room, so that it may evaluate and grade the exam according to the following ranks: . Pass with distinction . High pass . Pass . Fail In their evaluation the members of the committee must take into account also the five written reviews prepared by the candidate.

Candidates who fail the exam may repeat it after six months. They may present the same lists or different ones. Candidates who fail one part of the exam will have to repeat only that part.

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List A for the General Examination in Italian as of Fall, 2015

Candidates must read: 1) All poems listed in section 1. 2) All works listed in section 2. 3) At least 12 works chosen by the candidate and approved by her or his adviser. 4) At least five books and five articles of criticism, each of them specifically concerning one of the works of authors included in list “A”.

Section 1 Guido Guinizzelli Rime: “Al cor gentile rempaira sempre amore”

Guido Cavalcanti Rime: “In un boschetto trova’ pastorella,” “Donna me prega”

Dante Alighieri Rime (ed. Contini; in brackets ed. Barbi): 7 (50), 9 (52), 10 (56), 20 (67), 26-28 (73,75, 77), 29 (80), 38 (91), 43 (100), 46 (103)

Francesco Petrarca Canzoniere, 1, 2, 3, 16, 23, 30, 35, 50, 70, 90, 126, 128, 189, 264, 267, 310, 350, 353, 365, 366.

Lorenzo de’ Medici Canzona di Bacco (“Quant’è bella giovinezza”)

Vittoria Colonna Rime: “Qual digiuno augellin, che vede ed ode.”

Michelangelo Rime: 10 (“Qua si fa elmi di calici e spade”), 105 (“Non vider gli occhi miei”), 151 (“Non ha l’ottimo artista alcun concetto”).

Gaspara Stampa Rime: CIV (“O notte, a me piú chiara e piú beata”), CCXIV (“La piaga, ch’io credea che fosse salda”).

Giambattista Marino Rime: “Mentre la sua donna si pettina” (“Onde dorate, e l’onde eran capelli”), “Il piacere imperfetto” (“Alza costei dal fondo de’ tormenti”).

***Parini **Il giorno. ???

Ugo Foscolo

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Dei Sepolcri Sonetti: I (“Alla sera”), VII (“Il proprio ritratto”), IX (“A Zacinto”).

Giacomo Leopardi Canti: XI (“Il passero solitario”), XII (“L’infinito”), XIII (“La sera del dì di festa”), XIV (“Alla luna”), XXI (“A Silvia”), XXII (“Le ricordanze”), XXIII (“Canto notturno di un pastore errante dell’Asia”), XXIV (“La quiete dopo la tempesta”), XXV (“Il sabato del villaggio”), XXXIV (“La ginestra”).

Giovanni Pascoli Myricae: “X agosto.”

Gabriele d’Annunzio Alcyone: “La pioggia nel pineto.”

Guido Gozzano La via del rifugio: “L’amica di Nonna Speranza.” I colloqui: “La signorina Felicita ovvero la Felicità.”

Giuseppe Ungaretti L’Allegria: “I fiumi,” “Mattina,” “Fratelli.” Il Dolore: “Tu ti spezzasti.”

Eugenio Montale Ossi di seppia: “I limoni,” “Non chiederci la parola,” “Meriggiare pallido e assorto,” “Arsenio.” Le occasioni: “Dora Markus,” “Notizie dall’Amiata.” La bufera e altro: “La bufera,” “L’anguilla.” Satura: “La storia.” Diario del ’71 e del ’72: “Lettera a Malvolio.”

Salvatore Quasimodo Acque e terre: “Vento a Tindari.”

Umberto Saba Il Canzoniere: “A mia moglie;” “La capra.”

Pier Paolo Pasolini Le ceneri di Gramsci: “Le ceneri di Gramsci,” “Il pianto della scavatrice.”

Amelia Rosselli Variazioni belliche: “I tuoi occhi di ceramica.” Documento: “I fiori vengono in dono.”

Vittorio Sereni Gli strumenti umani: “Appuntamento a ora insolita.”

Andrea Zanzotto IX Ecloghe: “13 settembre 1959 (variante).”

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La Beltà: “Al mondo.” Il Galateo in Bosco: “Ipersonetto.”

Section 2

 Dante, Vita nova.  Dante, Commedia.  Boccaccio, Decameron (at least the following novellas: Proemio; I, intr.; I, 1; I, 2; I, 3; I, 8; II, 5, II, 7; III, 1; III, 2; III, 10; IV, intr.; IV, 1; IV, 2; IV, 5; IV, 9; V, 8; V, 9; VI, 1; VI, 2; VI, 4; VI, 9; VI, 10; VII, 9; VIII, 3; VIII, 7; IX, 2; IX, 10; X, 2; X, 9; X, 10, Conclusione dell’autore).  Machiavelli, Il principe.  Machiavelli, La Mandragola.  Ariosto, Orlando furioso (at least the following cantos: I-II, IV, VI, IX, XXII- XXIII, XXXIII-XXXIV, XLVI).  Tasso, Gerusalemme liberata (at least the following cantos: I-II, VI-VII, XII-XIII, XV-XVI, XX).  Cellini, La vita. OR Alfieri, Vita.  Goldoni, La locandiera.  Manzoni, I promessi sposi.  Verga, I Malavoglia.  D’Annunzio, Il piacere.  Aleramo, Una donna.  Pirandello, Enrico IV OR Sei personaggi in cerca d’autore.  Svevo, La coscienza di Zeno.  Moravia, Gli indifferenti.  Primo Levi, Se questo è un uomo.  Morante, L’isola di Arturo OR La Storia.  Tomasi di Lampedusa, Il Gattopardo.  : one of his books.  Tondelli, Camere separate.  Ferrante, L’amore molesto.

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