ITAL 320 - The Language of Desire and the Modern Self

1 unit(s)

The course explores ways in which early writers in the Italian vernacular developed the modern concept of selfhood and articulated it through the language of desire. We investigate intimate expressions of both spiritual and physical longing, and analyze how the affirmation of one’s desire requires striking a balance with, or even bending, social norms of gender, ethics, spirituality, and class. We read texts and selections from, among others, San Francis of Assisi, Dante, Petrarca, Boccaccio, Isotta Nogarola, Castiglione, Gaspara Stampa, Veronica Franco e Michelangelo.

Prerequisite(s): ITAL 220, ITAL 222; or ITAL 217, ITAL 218 with permission of the instructor.

Not offered in 2023/24.

Course Format: CLS