French 325 - French Literature I: Dramatic Voices: Poets and Playwrights

Institution:

Washington University in St Louis

Subject:

Description:

An interpretation of cultural, philosophical, and aesthetic issues as presented in influential works of French poetry and drama from the Middle Ages to the present. May be taken before or after French 326. Prerequisite: French 308D or French 318D. Section 01. Self and Society. A study of the themes of self and society as seen in the dramas of Molière, Corneille, Racine, Beaumarchais, Musset, and Beckett, and in the poetry from Villon to Prévert. We examine the struggle of self vs. society in various contexts, particularly love, family, politics, and fate, and study how the individual affirms and defines himself/herself, or fails to do so, in that struggle. Section 02. Voices. Poets from Villon and Ronsard to Lamartine and Rimbaud have used their voices to express lyrical themes, like love, death, the passage of time, beauty, and good and evil in important personal ways. Their voices are meant to speak to us as individuals, to comfort us or, on the contrary, to unsettle us. They even sometimes encourage us to act, to change something about our lives or our society. Playwrights, too, have used their characters' voices to stir up cultural revolution of their own sorts (Romantic with Hugo's Hernani; Symbolist/Surrealist with Jarry's Ubu Roi). This course examines how and why these and other writers (Louise Labé, Baudelaire, Apollinaire, Corneille, Racine, Molière) chose to put their voices into writing, what they tried to say, and for what audience they wanted to say it. We examine how their voices speak to social, political, and more generally, cultural questions regarding the time period in which they wrote. Section 03. Living Matter(s). Renowned poems and plays of the French tradition explore love, moral claims, suffering, mortal sins, cultural awakenings: the matter of life that also is often a matter of death, a matter that authors transform and celebrate. We study these issues by focusing on the link between literature, history, and art in works by Ronsard, Hugo, Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Ponge, Corneille, Molière, Racine, Beaumarchais, Ionesco, among others. Section 04. Poetic Places. The poetic voice has often been considered in light of its "mission," or higher calling. How do we perceive this mission and where does it situate the author and the reader with respect to the text? Does it imply the isolation of the poet or simply a difference in perspective? Does the poet speak with one voice or from several different places at once? We seek to situate the authorial persona, as well as the place we are called to occupy in relation to the poet's voice. Are literary texts emblematic of their time? Do they simply reflect their context or can they constitute a new reality? How do they differ from blogs? As we read from each period, we distinguish the literary traditions as well as social norms represented/questioned/or shredded within the text. Poets include Rutebeuf, Villon, Ronsard, Labé, Boileau, La Fontaine, Hugo, Vigny, Baudelaire, Verlaine, Apollinaire, Mallarmé, Ponge, Michaux, Bonnefoy. Playwrights include Racine, Molière, Voltaire, Beaumarchais, Vian, Genet, Beckett, Ionesco. Section 06. The Spectator. Throughout the history of the theater, playwrights have questioned the ideal relationship of the spectator to the stage. From classical tragedy and comedy through the theater of the absurd, the question of whether or not the spectator should identify with the characters on stage remains central to the theatrical experience. We consider the moral implications of this choice and its effect on society. We read plays that illustrate the changing notion of our role as spectator along with poems that invite us to see the world through the eyes of God, the king, the philosopher, the pauper, and the poet. Playwrights include Racine, Corneille, Beaumarchais, Hugo, and Ionesco. Poets include Ronsard, Malesherbes, Voltaire, Baudelaire, and Claudel.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.wustl.edu

Phone Number:

(314) 935-5000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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