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74909-01 - Kurs: Introduction to Hermeneutics and Poetry Interpretation (3 KP)

Semester Frühjahrsemester 2025
Angebotsmuster einmalig
Dozierende Constantin Sinn (c.sinn@unibas.ch, BeurteilerIn)
Ilya Skokleenko (ilya.skokleenko@unibas.ch)
Inhalt When we read a poem, we often find that its meaning repeatedly eludes us and cannot be clearly deciphered. The ›message‹ of a poem (if there is one) often seems ambiguous or ›dark‹ to us. We then ask ourselves how can we even comprehend something so incomprehensible?
In this seminar, we are more interested in the process of understanding that underlies an interpretation than in the ›correct‹ decoding of a poem. In general, we understand interpretation as an extension of meaning, in that it brings to light something that even the author of the poem may not have realized.

Together we want to learn:
1. To articulate our own understanding and non-understanding when interpreting.
2. To understand the theory of understanding, called hermeneutics, in its historicity and to explore the conditions of the possibility of understanding and interpreting.
3. To explore the relationship between poem and interpretation on the one hand, and between the interpretations themselves on the other.

Based on the concept of »Doppelinterpretationen« (›double interpretations‹; 1966) by the German poet Hilde Domin, where the poem is juxtaposed with an interpretation by the poem's author and an interpretation by a literary scholar, in the seminar we will create a chain of different interpretations to see how the meaning of the text changes. Alongside our own interpretations (group work), we intend to invite guests: a poet and a literary scholar, who will each share their interpretation of a poem with us. We will also have AI make interpretations to compare with ours.

This is an interphilological course, i.e. we will get to know concepts of interpretation from German and Slavic Studies, which are interesting for any philology.
To get a basic understanding of modern hermeneutics, we will look at positions such as Friedrich Schlegel’s »Essay on Incomprehensibility« (1800), Friedrich Schleiermacher’s »Hermeneutics and Criticism« (1838) and Peter Szondi’s »Introduction to Literary Hermeneutics« (1975).
We will further explore the historical perspective of the Soviet school of hermeneutics and semiotics. Starting with Mikhail Bakhtin, we will explore his theory of dialogism and the concept of the literary chronotope, which emphasizes the multiplicity of voices and the interconnectedness of time and space in the works of poetry. We will then turn to Juri Lotman, the leading figure of the Tartu-Moscow Semiotic school, who introduced the notion of the semiosphere - an interconnected semiotic space - and whose seminal work Analysis of the Poetic Text (1976) has been pivotal in understanding the complexity of literary structures. Mikhail Gasparov’s contributions will also be discussed, focusing on his work History of European Versification (1996) which provides comprehensive analyses of poetic forms and their evolution. Finally, we will examine Merab Mamardashvili’s seminal contributions to the gnoseological aspects of analysis and synthesis, his insights into the relationship between consciousness and aesthetics, and his meta-theoretical approaches to language and consciousness. This exploration will provide a robust framework for understanding the processes of literary interpretation.
Lernziele • Learning how the history of hermeneutics and thus the understanding of texts has changed
• Interpreting a poem and changing, revising or completely overturning your own interpretation
• Understanding other perspectives on the poem
• Dealing with hermetic poems and barriers to understanding
• Learning how to work with critical-philological editions
Literatur The course catalogue is provided at the beginning of the semester.
Bemerkungen The course is offered for BA students.

 

Unterrichtssprache Englisch
Einsatz digitaler Medien kein spezifischer Einsatz

 

Intervall Wochentag Zeit Raum

Keine Einzeltermine verfügbar, bitte informieren Sie sich direkt bei den Dozierenden.

Module Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor Studienfach: Englisch)
Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor Studienfach: Altertumswissenschaften)
Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor Studienfach: Deutsche Philologie)
Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor Studienfach: Französistik)
Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor Studienfach: Hispanistik)
Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor Studienfach: Italianistik)
Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor Studienfach: Nordistik (Studienbeginn vor 01.08.2022))
Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor Studiengang: Altertumswissenschaften)
Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft BA (Bachelor Studienfach: Nordistik)
Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master Studienfach: Slavistik)
Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master Studienfach: Englisch)
Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master Studienfach: Deutsche Philologie)
Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master Studienfach: Französistik)
Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master Studienfach: Hispanistik)
Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master Studienfach: Italianistik)
Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master Studienfach: Deutsche Literaturwissenschaft)
Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master Studienfach: Latinistik)
Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Master Studienfach: Nordistik)
Modul: Interphilologie: Literaturwissenschaft MA (Masterstudium - Philosophisch-Historische Fakultät)
Prüfung Lehrveranst.-begleitend
An-/Abmeldung zur Prüfung Anmelden: Belegen; Abmelden: nicht erforderlich
Wiederholungsprüfung keine Wiederholungsprüfung
Skala Pass / Fail
Belegen bei Nichtbestehen nicht wiederholbar
Zuständige Fakultät Philosophisch-Historische Fakultät, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch
Anbietende Organisationseinheit Departement Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaften

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