3.0

credits

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Does poetry participate in the quest for truth and knowledge? How does it compare to other such disciplines as history or philosophy? Are poets liars or do they have a deeper gaze on reality than anyone else? To answer these questions, this course studies poetry’s role within the different fields of human learning in the Renaissance. We will focus on the English and Italian tradition, reading texts by John Milton and Torquato Tasso, and explore the classical roots of the debate around poetry (Aristotle, Plato, Horace). We will then examine the relationship between science and literature through the work of Galileo Galilei. We will also study rare and ancient books in our library. The course is taught in English. All readings will be in English, but the original texts will also be available.