Course description
The course, which is divided into two distinct modules, presents the works of some of the most significant authors from the eighteenth to the twentieth century in terms of the clashing visions of humanism and scientism. As a result, different visions of a ‘myth of progress’ emerge according to the different ideological tendencies of the authors concerned. The first module will examine some of the most important poetical works of William Blake, William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Particular attention will be devoted to the representation of childhood as well as the radicalism which the three poets shared. Blake may be seen as the precursor of a poetic vision which considers the imagination as a vital expedient against the hypocrisy and corruption of a society dictated by a rational vision bent on the annihilation of the individual spirit. The second module takes into consideration the development of science fiction from Bulwer-Lytton to H.G. Wells. Wells is generally considered the forefather of modern science fiction in that his scientific knowledge contributes to heighten the verisimilitude of the imaginary world he sets up as a warning against the future dystopic transformations of our society.

The division of the course into two separate modules does not, of course, preclude the possibility of considering the intertextual connections of the works chosen. Therefore, students will be encouraged to reflect on the thematic convergences as well as the literary and ideological objectives behind their composition