Dante Alighieri (–1321)
Author of The Inferno
About the Author
Born Dante Alighieri in the spring of 1265 in Florence, Italy, he was known familiarly as Dante. His family was noble, but not wealthy, and Dante received the education accorded to gentlemen, studying poetry, philosophy, and theology. His first major work was Il Vita Nuova, The New Life. This brief show more collection of 31 poems, held together by a narrative sequence, celebrates the virtue and honor of Beatrice, Dante's ideal of beauty and purity. Beatrice was modeled after Bice di Folco Portinari, a beautiful woman Dante had met when he was nine years old and had worshipped from afar in spite of his own arranged marriage to Gemma Donati. Il Vita Nuova has a secure place in literary history: its vernacular language and mix of poetry with prose were new; and it serves as an introduction to Dante's masterpiece, The Divine Comedy, in which Beatrice figures prominently. The Divine Comedy is Dante's vision of the afterlife, broken into a trilogy of the Inferno, Purgatory, and Paradise. Dante is given a guided tour of hell and purgatory by Virgil, the pagan Roman poet whom Dante greatly admired and imitated, and of heaven by Beatrice. The Inferno shows the souls who have been condemned to eternal torment, and included here are not only mythical and historical evil-doers, but Dante's enemies. The Purgatory reveals how souls who are not irreversibly sinful learn to be good through a spiritual purification. And The Paradise depicts further development of the just as they approach God. The Divine Comedy has been influential from Dante's day into modern times. The poem has endured not just because of its beauty and significance, but also because of its richness and piety as well as its occasionally humorous and vulgar treatment of the afterlife. In addition to his writing, Dante was active in politics. In 1302, after two years as a priore, or governor of Florence, he was exiled because of his support for the white guelfi, a moderate political party of which he was a member. After extensive travels, he stayed in Ravenna in 1319, completing The Divine Comedy there, until his death in 1321. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Disambiguation Notice:
Since there are other authors called Dante, the works of Dante Alighieri on that author page are now aliased here, instead of the pages being combined.
Image credit: Painting by Sandro Botticelli (c. 1495)
Series
Works by Dante Alighieri
The Divine Comedy: Inferno; Purgatorio; Paradiso (in one volume); Introduction by Eugenio Montale (1993) 234 copies
THE DIVINDE COMEDY 1 - HELL 46 copies
Die Göttliche Komödie. Auswahl. Unter Verwendung der Übersetzung von Hermann Gmelin herausgegeben von Heinrich… (1986) 27 copies
Tutto Dante. Inferno canto ventiseiesimo. volume 11 — Author — 15 copies
Enciclopedia Dantesca 12 copies
Dante's Purgatorio (The Divine Comedy, Volume II, Purgatory) [Translated by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow with an… (2017) 10 copies
Commedia und Einladungsband: I.Commedia. In deutscher Prosa von Kurt Flasch II.Einladung, Dante zu lesen (2011) 10 copies
Obras completas : contendo o texto original italiano e a tradução em prosa portuguêsa : volume V 9 copies
The Inferno 6 copies
Rejna 7-t4: Le vite di Dante dal 14. al 16. secolo: iconografia dantesca (2017) — Autore in riferimento — 5 copies
A Divina Comédia: Inferno 5 copies
Opere di dubbia attribuzione. Tomo 2: Opere già attribuite a Dante e altri documenti danteschi (2021) — Author — 4 copies
The Inferno: 2 4 copies
A Divina Comédia - vol 2/2 4 copies
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La letteratura italiana. Storia e testi. Volume 5 - Tomo I - Parte I Vita nuova - Rime - Il fiore - Detto d'amore — Author — 4 copies
La Vita Nuova e il Convivio 4 copies
A Mentor classic 4 copies
La Divina Commedia: Inferno Part I 4 copies
La Divina Commedia: Paradiso Part I 3 copies
Dante: The divine comedy 3 copies
Nuova edizione commentata delle opere di Dante. Con Bibliografia citata in forma abbreviata (anticipazione provvisoria… (2023) 3 copies
A Divina Comédia - vol 1/2 3 copies
The Odes of Dante 3 copies
A Divina Comédia, Tomo II 3 copies
A Translation of Dante's Eleven Letters: With Explanatory Notes and a Biographical, Historical, and Critical Comment to… (2010) 3 copies
Opere 1 — Author — 3 copies
Box A divina comédia 3 copies
Concordanza della Commedia di Dante Alighieri: testo critico del poema, rimario e indice analitico — Author — 3 copies
La letteratura italiana. Storia e Testi. Volume 5 - Tomo I - Parte II Convivio — Author — 2 copies
La Divina Comèdia (vol. II) 2 copies
Divina Comedia. Una adaptación para todas las edades (Colección el Bosque Viejo) (Spanish Edition) (2009) 2 copies
Readings On the Inferno of Dante: Based Upon the Commentary of Benvenuto Da Imola and Other Authorities; Volume 2 (2018) 2 copies
Detto d' amore 2 copies
The Divine Comedy, III. Paradiso, Vol. III. Part 1: 1: Italian Text and Translation; 2: Commentary (Bollingen Series… (2021) 2 copies
Canzoniere (Fraticelli), 2 vols. 2 copies
Divina Commedia Ricaldone, 3 copies 2 copies
Divina Commedia Scartazzinini 2 copies
Opere Minore, Fraticelli 2 copies
La Vita Nuova Casini 2 copies
La Vita Nuova Fraticelli 2 copies
La Vita Nuova (Witte) 2 copies
Tutti le Opere Dr. E. Moore 2 copies
Commedia - Lubin 2 copies
Vita Nuova [New Life]: Edizione inglese con testo italiano a fronte [English Edition with Italian Text Opposite] (2022) 2 copies
The Divine Comedy, a new translation by Lawrence Grant White, with 69 engravings by Gustave Dore; 2 copies
Dantis Alagherii opervm latinorvm concordantiae : cvrante Societate Dantea qvae est Cantabrigiae in Nova Anglia — Author — 2 copies
Le terze rime 2 copies
Tympans Romans : Nord de la France 2 copies
The purgatory. (Purgatoria I. XXVII) 2 copies
Dantes goddelijke komedie: de hel 2 copies
Enciclopedia dantesca: O - Pis 12 2 copies
Enciclopedia dantesca: Gro - Lum, 10 2 copies
La divina comedia y La vida nueva 2 copies
Manuale Dantesco : per le scuole 2 copies
Enciclopedia dantesca: Des - Fec 8 2 copies
Enciclopedia dantesca: Fed - Gri 9 2 copies
Enciclopedia dantesca: Lun - N 11 2 copies
Rime della maturità e dell'esilio 2 copies
Enciclopedia dantesca: Pit - Rip 13 2 copies
Enciclopedia dantesca: Ris - Sol 14 2 copies
Enciclopedia dantesca: Som - Tr 15 2 copies
Enciclopedia dantesca: Tu - Z 16 2 copies
La Divina Commedia: testi, strumenti, percorsi: antologia della Divina Commedia con schede critiche, strumenti… (1999) 2 copies
Lírica 2 copies
Opere minori. Tomo II 2 copies
Opere di Dante. 8.3: De situ et forma aque et terre — Author — 2 copies
The Programmed Classics 2 copies
I quattro poeti Italiani 2 copies
DIVINA COMEDIA - TOMO II 2 copies
Dante Alighieri Monarquia 2 copies
DANTES GUDOMLIGA KOMEDI 3 1 copy
Manoscritto n. 3 1 copy
La Divina Comèdia, vol. 3 1 copy
Poetas de Dante 1 copy
Dante - Ed. Verbo 1 copy
La Divina Comèdia, vol. 2 1 copy
La Divina Commedia-Le parole della Divina Commedia. Dizionario attivo. Per le Scuole superiori (2008) 1 copy
Dante per voce sola 1 copy
This Book Announces the Publication in Four Folio Volumes of the Comedy of Dante Alighieri of Florence (1929) 1 copy
La commedia Introduzione 1 copy
A reference grammar of medieval Italian according to Dante, with a dual language edition of the Vita Nova (1997) 1 copy
Divina comèdia VI 1 copy
Oeuvres de Dante Alighieri 1 copy
Obras completas vol.1 1 copy
Pagine scelte dalle opere 1 copy
Dante og Beatrice 1 copy
INFERNUL VOL1 1 copy
Dante - I poeti italiani /1 1 copy
Dante Autograph 1 copy
La divina comedia I 1 copy
Poesía 1 copy
Divina Comedia/ Vida Nueva 1 copy
Božanstvena Komedija 1 copy
PARAJSA 1 copy
FERRI 1 copy
KOMEDIA HYJNORE 1 copy
Göttliche Komödie 1 copy
Seleção de textos 1 copy
12 sonnetti 1 copy
Classici Italiani Commentati 1 copy
Božanstvena komedija 1 copy
La Divine comédie, Tome 2 1 copy
İlahi Komedya(Cehennem) 1 copy
Commedia Partadiso 1 copy
INFERNUL VOL2 1 copy
Divina Comedie vol1 1 copy
Divina Comedie vol2 1 copy
OBRA COMPLETA 1 copy
Vita Nuova 1 copy
Vita Nuova 1 copy
Dante tutte le opere 1 copy
Jaunā dzīve 1 copy
Göttliche Komödie 1 copy
Zaljubljeno more 1 copy
nel mezzo del cammin.... 1 copy
La Divina Commedia: nuovamente illustrata da artisti italiani a cura di Vittorio Alinari, Vol. III 1 copy
O Inferno de Dante: "A Divina Comédia" (Série "A Divina Comédia") (Portuguese Edition) (2021) 1 copy
1: Enfer. Purgatoire 1 copy
Rime. 1: I documenti 1 copy
Božská komédia. Očistec 1 copy
Komedia Hyjnore 1 copy
Il Canzoniere 1 copy
Dante, how to Know Him 1 copy
A Divina Comédia - O Inferno 1 copy
Összes művei 1 copy
Canzone Inedita Di Dante Alighieri in Lode Della Vergine Madre (Classic Reprint) (Italian Edition) (2017) 1 copy
Opere minori vol. 2 Rime 1 copy
الكوميديا الإلهية - الفردوس 1 copy
Antologia dantesca 1 copy
A Translation of the Inferno of Dante Alighieri, in English Verse: With Historical Notes, and the Life of Dante. to… (2010) 1 copy
Divina comèdia Vol. II 1 copy
La Divina Comedia 2 1 copy
Dante's Poems 1 copy
Paradiso XVIII-XXXIII. Edizione critica alla luce del più antico codice di sicura fiorentinità (2019) 1 copy
Paradiso I-XVII. Edizione critica alla luce del più antico codice di sicura fiorentinità (2018) 1 copy
Paulo and Francesca 1 copy
Il poema sacro cui pose mano e cielo e terra. La Divina Commedia. Ediz. integrale. Con espansione online (2010) 1 copy
Dante, le rime in breve 1 copy
Edizione integrale in fac-simile dei manoscritti 1005 della Biblioteca Riccardiana di Firenze e AG 12. 2 della… (2007) 1 copy
Den guddommelige komedie 1 copy
La divina comedia I-II 1 copy
La Divina Comèdia (vol. III) 1 copy
Opera omnia 2 1 copy
La vita nuova e rime scelte 1 copy
Dante Alighieri: Selected Works (Golden Deer Classics): The Divine Comedy, The Epistle to Can Grande (2017) 1 copy
Dantes Gœttliche komœdie in bildern von Gustav Doré — Contributor — 1 copy
Die goettliche Komoedie 1 copy
La Divina Commedia Angelica 1 copy
Opera omnia 1 1 copy
Dante Alighieri, Divina Commedia: Codex Altonensis [facsimile] und Kommentar zum Codex Altonensis 1 copy
Jest tylko Beatrycze 1 copy
La Commedia. Inferno - Purgatorio - Paradiso: Testi scelti. Italienischer Text mit deutschen Worterklärungen. Niveau… (2021) 1 copy
Dante's Göttliche Komödie in Deutschen Stanzen Frei Bearbeitet (Classic Reprint) (German Edition) (2017) 1 copy
Pekel 1 copy
Vita Nuova (FS 2015) 1 copy
1: Introduzione 1 copy
HLa Ivita nova e Il convito 1 copy
Le opere di Dante Alighieri : edizione nazionale. Volume 7: La Commedia : secondo l'antica vulgata 1 copy
Obras completas : contendo o texto original italiano e a tradução em prosa portuguêsa : volume II 1 copy
Opere Scelte 1 copy
Gnomologia Dantesca, Ovvero Detti Memorabili di Dante: Raccolti Dalla Divina Commedia, e Illustrati Ad Uso di Citazioni… (2017) 1 copy
DANTE-CHAUCER 1 copy
Divina Commedia. Inferno. Interpretazione letterale e decodificazione dei versi a fronte. Esposizione e commento di… (2007) 1 copy
Il Paranasso Italiano 1 copy
Dante Alighieri - Purgatorio 1 copy
Divina Comedie 2 1 copy
Divina comedie 1 1 copy
Quaestio de aqua et de terra 1 copy
La divina commedia 132/23N 1 copy
La Cumégia 1 copy
Associated Works
The Graphic Canon, Vol. 1: From the Epic of Gilgamesh to Shakespeare to Dangerous Liaisons (2012) — Contributor — 278 copies
The Best of the World's Classics: Volume VIII Continental Europe II (1909) — Contributor, some editions — 26 copies
The Middle Ages to the 17th Century: Literature of the Western World (1961) — Contributor, some editions — 23 copies
Grolier Classics: Les Miserables, Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, French Revolution, Divine Comedy (1955) 16 copies
Sunlight on the River: Poems About Paintings, Paintings About Poems (2015) — Contributor — 10 copies
Oogst der tijden : keur uit de werken van schrijvers en dichters aller volken en eeuwen (1940) — Contributor — 10 copies
The Early Italian poets from Ciullo d'Alcamo to Dante Alighieri (1100-1200-1300) : in the original metres, together… (1904) — Contributor — 8 copies
Dante per immagini: dalle miniature trecentesche ai giorni nostri (2018) — Autore in relazione — 5 copies
American Aphrodite: A Quarterly for the Fancy-Free Volume 5 Number 17 (1955) — Contributor — 3 copies
American Aphrodite: A Quarterly for the Fancy-Free (Volume 1, Number 1) (1951) — Contributor — 3 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Alighieri, Dante
- Legal name
- Alighieri, Durante degli
- Other names
- Dante
- Birthdate
- n. 1265-05
- Date of death
- 1321-09-14
- Burial location
- Piazza San Francesco, Ravenna, Italia
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- Florence
- Country (for map)
- Italy
- Birthplace
- Florence, Italy
- Place of death
- Ravenna, Italy
- Places of residence
- Verona, Italy
- Occupations
- poet
soldier (cavalry)
apothecary
politician - Relationships
- Pietro di Dante Alighieri (zoon)
- Organizations
- Guelphs
- Short biography
- Dante Alighieri, (May 14/June 13, 1265 – September 13/14[1], 1321), was a Florentine Italian poet. Like many in the Florence of his day, he became involved in the conflict between the Guelph and Ghibelline factions. He fought in the Battle of Campaldino (1289) and held several political offices over the years. His central work, the Divina Commedia (Divine Comedy, originally called "Comedìa"), is composed of three parts: the Inferno, Purgatory, and Paradise. Dante was exiled from the city he loved, and addressed the pain of his loss in his work.
- Disambiguation notice
- Since there are other authors called Dante, the works of Dante Alighieri on that author page are now aliased here, instead of the pages being combined.
Members
Discussions
LE: Dante's The Divine Comedy in Folio Society Devotees (July 2023)
La Vita Nuova in Fine Press Forum (May 2023)
Opinions on older translations of The Divine Comedy? in Book talk (April 2022)
Henry Boyd's translation of Dante's Divine Comedy. in Book talk (February 2022)
Divine Comedy in Folio Society Devotees (September 2021)
Paris Review Challenge : The Divine Comedy, Season 1 in Dante's Sitting Room (October 2013)
Crambo's word rhymes with "vice" in Crambo! (June 2012)
Best Translation of The Divine Comedy? in Geeks who love the Classics (December 2010)
Dante's Divine Comedy in 1001 Books to read before you die (November 2008)
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The idea that Hell is really a hell of one's own making is presented here as well. Capaneus continues to lash out at Jupiter: "let him hurl his bolts at me, no joy of satisfaction would I give him!" He is still the same person, unchanged, as he was in life, which is a condition of the shades in Hell: they will not ever change, their pride will never allow them to repent. Virgil speaks back to him that "no torment other than your rage itself could punish your gnawing pride more perfectly." This psychologically astute envisioning of Hell is not one I was expecting to encounter; I had been underestimating Dante.
In the second half of the canto we get a fascinatingly allegorical and resonant description of the Man of Crete. This is a colossus representing humankind that lies underneath Mt. Ida and whose tears, representing humanity's tears, are the source of Hell's rivers. Dante takes the idea of such a figure from the Book of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar's dream, and combines it with Ovid's description of the fall of man from the Golden Age down through silver and bronze and finally to the Iron Age that he presents in [b:Metamorphoses|1715|Metamorphoses|Ovid|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1622739150l/1715._SY75_.jpg|2870411]; the colossus is fashioned of gold at the head, silver at the chest, brass to his legs, and then iron - except for a right foot made of terra cotta that he places more weight on, which represents the modern Roman Church. Only the gold portion is unbroken, as the tears carve a fissure down the rest of him.
The idea of Hell's rivers being fed by human tears symbolically falling down a figure representing the fall and decay of man is a powerful poetic image. Also very interesting in that it shows how people in every age and every generation think that theirs is a uniquely bad time in history, going all the way back to Ovid! This is nothing new at all; likely in a thousand years people will think that their time is a uniquely bad time, as humanity continues on its way.
And then on a lighter note, we have the pilgrim, perhaps unconsciously, getting a little jab in at Virgil, who could not get them past the gates of the infernal city of Dis separating Upper from Lower Hell that was guarded by devils - Virgil can handle Classical monsters, but Christian devils are beyond his powers and they had to wait on an angel from Heaven to continue their journey. Here Dante most unnecessarily reminds Virgil of his past failure in introducing a question about their current position: "My master, you who overcome all opposition (except for those tough demons who came to meet us at the gate of Dis), who is that mighty one that seems unbothered...". Petty!
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Finally found a translation, Mark Musa’s, that I really get on with. Also watched and read the lectures and notes from Columbia University’s course on the Commedia alongside reading each canto, which are available for free at digitaldante.columbia.edu, an amazing gift. I would have understood a mere fraction of the context, richness, and literary techniques of this work without those.… (more)