French IV: The French Chanson in Original Form and in Translation

On completion of the course, students will, in French, be able to:

• explain central trends in the genre of the French chanson in the 20th and 21st centuries
• based on their own text interpretation, explain central themes and motifs in the French chanson, and discuss the societal relevance of the lyrics
• in their own texts analyse and discuss literary aspects of the French chanson
• in their own texts analyse and discuss how French song lyrics in translated form spread to other language areas than just French
• based on their own or an existing translation of a song, apply central perspectives of translation theory, and reflect on how the source and target text relate to each other, with special focus on the genre of song lyrics.

The course introduces perspectives on literary and translation studies on the French chanson from the 1900s and 2000s. Interpretation of literary texts as well as the societal relevance of the song lyrics and special status compared with other genres are treated in relation to the works studied. The course also includes translation theories, with a special focus on the translation of song lyrics.

Continuous assessment of active participation in seminars and written assignments. Students also write two independent pieces of work: a short literary analysis and a translation-oriented study.

Lectures and obligatory seminars. The language of instruction is French.

The Swedish grades U–VG.

To achieve the grade of VG for the whole course, students require the grade of VG in both modules.

Reporting of grades:
Module 1: Literary Studies and the French Chanson - 4.5 cr
Module 2: Translation Studies and the French Chanson - 3 cr