Einführung in die Literaturwissenschaft/ Introduction to the Study of Literature

Course Description

As an introduction to the study of literature, this lecture-cum-seminar course tries to lay the necessary foundations for a scholarly approach to literature and texts in general. That is, the study of literature will be situated within a wider context, i.e. the network of literary communication. This entails

a discussion of literary genres and their specifics (fiction, poetry, drama, non-fiction),
an introduction to the basic tools for the study of literature (bibliography, stylistics, rhetorical figures, imagery, metrics, poetics),
a survey of important critical approaches and methods -- as the special focus of this course.

During each unit sufficient time will be set aside for practical course work, which will include discussion of exemplary texts and student presentations on a selection of important topics. This course, which requires active participation and which concludes with a written test during the penultimate week, is obligatory for beginners (“Grundstudium”) and a prerequisite for “Proseminare” and the intermediate exam (“Zwischenprüfung”). NB: A tutorial in which in-depth analysis and close reading will be practised is also offered to go with this lecture course (see below ).

Required reading:

will be announced during first session.