Dante Alighieri
2 books analyzed
Biography
Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) was born in Florence to a family of minor nobility. He was a poet, philosopher, political theorist, and active participant in Florentine civic life. In 1302, his faction (the White Guelphs) lost power, and Dante was exiled from Florence on charges of corruption — charges he always maintained were fabricated. He never returned. The Divine Comedy was written entirely in exile, and the poem's rage against Florentine politics, papal corruption, and the injustice of his banishment burns through every canto. Dante died in Ravenna in 1321, and Florence has been trying to get his bones back ever since.
Dante Alighieri at a glance
Works
Inferno
1320 · 320 pages · ★★★★☆ Advanced
A poet walks through Hell and finds everyone he ever hated there — then writes the most beautiful poetry in any language to describe their suffering.
The Divine Comedy
1320 · 798 pages · ★★★★★ Expert
A poet walks through Hell, climbs Purgatory, and ascends to the face of God — writing the greatest poem in any language along the way, settling every political score he ever had.
Diction Across Works
formal-vernacular
elevated-vernacular