One of the surest signs of fame among men is when one is known solely by his first name, and yet the mention of just that first name makes clear who is being spoken of. So it is with Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), known simply as Dante, thanks to the success of his Divine Comedy, one of the seminal works in human history. With the Divine Comedy, Dante is often considered the master of contemporary Italian, as well as a forerunner of the Renaissance, which began to flourish in Florence around the same time. The Divine Comedy ...
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One of the surest signs of fame among men is when one is known solely by his first name, and yet the mention of just that first name makes clear who is being spoken of. So it is with Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), known simply as Dante, thanks to the success of his Divine Comedy, one of the seminal works in human history. With the Divine Comedy, Dante is often considered the master of contemporary Italian, as well as a forerunner of the Renaissance, which began to flourish in Florence around the same time. The Divine Comedy tells of Dante's journey through Hell (the Inferno), Purgatory, and Paradise, guided by famous poets including Virgil. Dante's epic discusses religion, philosophy, and a wide range of subject matter throughout Dante's travels. Although Dante will always be known for Divine Comedy, he also wrote other works, touching on topics like philosophy in works like Convivio, and religion and power in De Monarchia The most famous part of The Divine Comedy is Dante's Inferno, his trip through Hell. The first part of his masterpiece, Dante is escorted through the medieval concept of Hell by renowned Roman poet Virgil.
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Reading this paraphrase allowed me to visualize the story. Mary Jo Bang uses dozens of contemporary references to bring the poem to life. Her notes are excellent. I also read parts of Ciardi's translation, which is quite good, but not as fun or edgy as this one.
Stacey R
Oct 13, 2011
Excellent!
John Ciardi's translation of Inferno is detailed and rich with use of the English language that most closely matches the original language of this work.
HIs historical references and explanations are numerous and make the work even more meaningful. For a classical work originally from the middle ages, Ciardi makes it very understandable and enjoyable for modern audiences.
