Annotation
After a short introduction to the Renaissance and humanism (François Villon, Pierre de Ronsard, François Rabelais, Michel de Montaigne) of the 16th century the students realise the continuity of mental development and adopt the notions connected with the literature of classicism and the Enlightenment: genres, authors, ideas and works of art. The historical and cultural excursion to the 17th and 18th centuries facilitates the students’ understanding of paradigms, values and aesthetical requirements of classicism lingering to
Preromanticism. The next phase of development, the philosophy of rationalism evolving into the Enlightenment of the 18th century, radically transforms the subject matter of literary works, the development of theatre, artistic prose and poetry. In practical part, the students focus on general interpretative activities with chosen texts, they learn to apply the literary terminology on aesthetic and mental values, which are represented by the literary works given.
This process enables them to read and better comprehend the works of remote historical eras which are yet the base of modern, including current, European literature, and belong to the intellectual equipment of a well-educated person, all the more so a future teacher. The main topics are: French Academy, préciosité and the development of classicistic aesthetical rules, the genres of tragedy and comedy, the philosophy of rationalism; the history of art and culture of the 18th century in France, French philosophers and encyclopedists, philosophical fairy tale; epistolary novel, realistic short story and novel, European context, theatre and poetry.