SZ7_LSPP Structural Poetics of the Prague School

Faculty of Education
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
1/0/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
doc. PhDr. Ondřej Sládek, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Jiří Poláček, CSc.
Department of Czech Language and Literature – Faculty of Education
Contact Person: Petra Rozbořilová
Supplier department: Department of Czech Language and Literature – Faculty of Education
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is offered to students of any study field.
The capacity limit for the course is 100 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/100, only registered: 0/100, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/100
Course objectives
This course introduces students to the main problems, theories and methods of the structural poetics of the Prague School. At the end of the course the students will: be able to understand the historical, theoretical and methodological development of Czech literary structuralism; get better appreciation of key sources and formative relations of Czech literary structuralism; get better appreciation of the main changes undergone by the structural poetics of the Prague School in exile – in the context of the development of Western literary theory and criticism, and more specifically, the history of structuralism and post-structuralism; have an overview of the main theoretical approaches by Jan Mukařovský and Felix Vodička; critically assess the theoretical proposals of Mojmír Grygar, Květoslav Chvatík, and Lubomír Doležel.
Learning outcomes
Students will know the history of structural poetics of the Prague School, they will be able to interpret literary works of art as well as justify and support their views using their knowledge of literary studies. Students will further develop their literary knowledge and interpretational skills with the aim to communicate with a literary work more efficiently.
Syllabus
  • 1. Structuralism and structuralisms (The Prague School, French structuralism, Post-structuralism); 2. Prague School structural poetics in context (Jan Mukařovský, Felix Vodička); 3. Some aspects of Prague School structural poetics; 4. The Prague School in exile: An historical overview (1939−1989); 5. M. Grygar´s project of comparative semiotics of art; 6. K. Chvatík´s structuralism and hermeneutics; 7. L. Doležel´s theory and metodology; 8. Czech post-structural structuralism
Literature
    required literature
  • DOLEŽEL, Lubomír. “Structuralism of the Prague School.” In: R. Selden (ed.): The Cambridge History of Literary Criticism. Vol. VIII. From Formalism to Poststructuralism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1995, p. 33−57.
  • DOLEŽEL, Lubomír. Occidental Poetics: Tradition and Progress. Lincoln – London: University of Nebraska Press 1990.
  • STRIEDTER, Jurij. Literary Structure, Evolution, and Value: Russian Formalism and Czech Structuralism Reconsidered. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press 1989.
  • SLÁDEK, Ondřej: „The Prague School in the United States.“ In: Bohumil Vykypěl a Vít Boček (eds.): Travaux linguistiques de Brno. Recherches fonctionelles et structurales 2009. Muenchen, Lincom Europa 2009, p. 53−79.
    recommended literature
  • GALAN, František William. Historic Structures: The Prague School Project: 1929–1946. London − Sydney: Croom Helm 1985.
  • MUKAŘOVSKÝ, Jan. Structure, Sign and Function: Selected Essays by Jan Mukařovský. Trans. and eds. J. Burbank, P. Steiner. New Haven – London: Yale University Press 1978.
  • STEINER, Peter – Červenka, Miroslav – Vroon, Ronald (eds.). Structure of the Literary Process: Studies Dedicated to the Memorary of Felix Vodička. Amsterdam – Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company 1982.
  • NEKULA, Marek (Hrsg.). Prager Strukturalismus: Methodologische Grundlagen/Prager Structuralism: Methodological Fundamentals. Heidelberg: Universitätverlag Winter 2003.
  • MATEJKA, Ladislav (ed.). Sound, Sign and Meaning: Quinquagenary of the Prague Lingvistic Circle. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan 1976.
  • STEINER, Peter (ed.). The Prague School: Selected Writings: 1929−1946. Austin: University of Texas Press 1982.
  • MUKAŘOVSKÝ, Jan. The Word and Verbal Art: Selected Essays by Jan Mukařovský. Trans. and eds. J. Burbank, P. Steiner. New Haven – London: Yale University Press 1977.
  • MATEJKA, Ladislav – Titunik, Irwin R. (eds.) Semiotics of Art: Prague School Contributions. Cambridge, Mass. − London: The MIT Press 1976.
Teaching methods
Students will get an insight into the main problems, theories and approaches of the structural poetics of the Prague School. Students will further develop their literary knowledge and interpretational skills with the aim to communicate with a literary work more efficiently. They will creatively use their knowledge gained not only in the classes but also in their individual study of recommended literature which they will be able to discuss regularly with their teacher.
Assessment methods
Course completion: Written examination (written test). Exam requirements: required reading, students hand in a written assignment, consulatation with their teacher, satisfactory results of a written test. The test is scored. Students must obtain at least 80 % right answers.
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/ped/spring2025/SZ7_LSPP