Dante Alighieri : An Italian Poet

Who is Dante? He was a man that had a desire to find the truths of heaven and earth even from a very young age; his goal was to understand the three worlds in his mind of hell, purgatory and paradise so that he could find the true everlasting happiness. In Dante’s age there was not really a separation between church and state. “Dante 's philosophical view was also a political view. In Dante 's time, there were two major political factions, the Guelphs and the Ghibellines. Originally, the Ghibellines represented the medieval aristocracy, which wished to retain the power of the Holy Roman Emperor in Italy, as well as in other parts of Europe. The Ghibellines fought hard in this struggle for the nobility to retain its feudal powers over the land and the people in contrast, the Guelphs, of which Dante was a member, were mainly supported by the rising middle class, represented by rich merchants, bankers, and new landowners. The enemy was politically, philosophically, and theologically wrong — and thus a Heretic” He was a supporter of the papacy which was a direct opposition to the Holy Roman Emperor, therefore putting himself in danger of his beliefs.

Dante’s years of exile were years of difficult peregrinations from one place to another—as he himself repeatedly says, most effectively in Paradiso [XVII], in Cacciaguida’s moving lamentation that “bitter is the taste of another man’s bread and . . . heavy the way up and down another man’s stair.” Throughout his exile Dante nevertheless was sustained by work on his great poem. The Divine Comedy was possibly begun prior to 1308 and completed just before his death in 1321, but the exact dates are uncertain. In addition, in his final years Dante was received honourably in many noble houses in the north of Italy, most notably by Guido Novello da Polenta, the nephew of the remarkable Francesca, in Ravenna. There at his death Dante was given an honourable

Dante was a man with a vision. He lived in a world that was “Torn by discord” (Limentani,117). Born in 1265, Dante’s Florence was the center of a war ravaged Italy. He became involved in politics at a young age and before too long became a White Guelph, one who supported the Papacy in the fight against invading Germanic kings. 1301 was a tragic year because it marked the beginning of the Black Guelph regime and saw Dante exiled from his home town forever. These experiences made Dante quickly realize that this world is corrupt to the core. “Greed for material things is the main fault, greed which is allowed to dictate the actions of men. Only a cessation of strife, the establishment of universal peace can ensure the happiness of mankind and allow men to pursue the ultimate aim for which God has destined them on earth, that of exercising constantly and to the full their distinctive quality, the ‘Virtus Intellective’ (virtuous intellect)” (Limentani,117). He believed that all life on this earth has a purpose and meaning to it. This can be seen in the Inferno because during the long trek through Hell Dante does almost nothing but work to arrive a Paradise, the heavenly end to all those lacking wickedness. He traveled far trying to make his life purposeful by working his way up to Heaven.

Dante Alighieri was a major Italian poet of the Late Middle Ages, he was born into a family with a complex involvement in the Florence political scene. In the Dante Alighieri's epic poem The Inferno, Dante, the protagonist, witnesses the Circles of Hell, guided by Virgil the character representing Human Reason. Alighieri shows compassion towards different sinners in Hell, which provides an insight on the way he feels about people who do not repent. Although they are illustrated as good people by the poet, they are punished within the different circles of Hell because they did not cleanse themselves of sin. Through the uses of diction, actions of Dante and Virgil, and imagery, Alighieri was able to show readers he felt compassion towards Farinata Degli Uberti, Pier Delle Vigne, and Count Ugliono.

Dante was born in Florence, Italy to Alaghiero and Bella. His mom died before Dante turned 10 years old, and he soon had a new stepmother and two new siblings. He once lived in Bologna for a couple of years until his exiles were banished then he moved to Padua. He took his name from his teacher, a carver in bone and ivory named Michelino. He was elected to the Compagnia di San Luca (painter 's guild) in 1442 and joined the Arte dei Medici e degli Speziali in 1444. Dante’s last works dates to 1484, two images of St. Luke for the banner of

The Guelphs assumed power but split themselves up into Whites and Blacks, the Whites taking the antipapal position of the Ghibellines. Dante eventually cast his lot in with the Whites. When the Blacks seized power in Florence in 1302, they condemned him to death, forcing him to leave his wife, Gemma Donati, and their four children in his beloved native city for the rest of his life. Dante spent most of his time in exile writing new pieces of literature (Siegal). It is believed that around 1307 he stops work on Convivio to begin The Comedy (later known as The Divine Comedy). He completed it shortly before he dies in 1321. The Divine Comedy is

“My Guide and I crossed over and began to mount that little known and lightless road to ascend into the shinning world again.” The Inferno, by Dante Alighieri, is an epic poem, divine comedy, which was written in the 1500’s in Italian. Dante Alighieri lost his mother at a very young age and was exiled from his hometown, Florence when his group, the White Guelphs got into a disagreement with the Black Guelphs. Dante was a writer and greatly involved in politics which influenced him to write this epic poem. The story starts at with him meeting the ghost of Virgil, his idol, who becomes his guide for the remainder of the book and tries to escort Dante to heaven to be with his love, Beatrice.

The beginning lines of The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri indicate a pragmatic journey through the dark woods. It is soon evident that The Divine Comedy is in terms of an allegory. Midway through his life, Dante finds himself lost and in darkness. He is confused and unaware of how he has ended up in these dark woods. Dante soon comes across Italian poet Virgil, who will guide him through the Nine Circles of Hell. Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy: Inferno portrays Dante’s life and adventure through Hell which allegorically represents a much broader subject: man’s journey through life to salvation.

Solely based on moral beliefs Dante's poem is obviously a deeply Christian standpoint. One might be surprised, then, to find that it is filled with allusions to pagan mythology and is populated not just by biblical figures, but also by characters of Greek and Roman myth and history. However taking place in hell on the evening of Good Friday through the morning of Easter Sunday in approximately the year 1300. The Inferno is an evil that is a contradiction to God's will; as most of the punishments of the sinners correspond symbolically to the sins they committed themselves. The walk through a dark and confusing world represents the life journey of men and women. Dante’s extensive literary treatment of death and afterlife aims to both comfort and warn; envisioning rewards for the

Dante's Inferno shows a vast variety of different religious implications within the story. Showing as the most obvious is Christianity. Dante is a major Italian poet, hence the idea that Inferno is Italian for hell, and this epic poem is one that tells the journey of Dante through hell. While on his journey he is being guided by the ancient Roman poet Virgil. Dante Alighieri’s epic poem the Divine comedy was written in the 14th century. Specifically, he completed the epic in 1308, and during this time period roman Catholicism was at its peak of popularity in Rome. Dante is known as a strong believer in Catholicism, however he believed that the pope at the time, Pope Boniface VIII, was an arrogant and power crazed ruler. (Thompsett) Dante’s personal views of church was that it was too involved in government and political affairs. He believed in the separation of church and state. This meaning that the state should not be dictated by the church, and the church should not be dictated by the state. And Boniface's ruling as Pope did not quite follow Dante's beliefs. Christianity was the overlooking religion of the epic poem as that was Dante's religion, but many other religions played their own parts. Some being Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Jainism and Zoroastrianism. (Burky)

His most famous piece of literature, The Divine Comedy, is said to be important also because of “It’s place in the history of the development of the Italian language'; (Dante: The Divine… Internet). To understand this we need to look at the language and writings at that time in history. During Dante’s lifetime different dialects of Italian were spoken in different parts of the country (Dante Alighieri, 1265-1321 Internet). Dante was a very skilled writer who wrote in both his Florentine Italian dialect and Latin, which was unusual since most scholarly writings at that time were in Latin (Dante Internet). Dante however believed that the language of one’s family was noble and he broke the traditions of those before him.

Dante Alighieri, an Italian poet and writer of the 13th century, creates a fictional account of his visions of his journey through Hell. His background as a Catholic influences his life and his writings, including The Inferno. He uses the historical and political events of his lifetime to influence his writings as well. Dante is educated and very familiar with the history and literature of the classical world. In The Inferno, he expresses his admiration for Greco-Roman history, literature, mythology, and philosophy, but he also places limitations on the ability of the classical world to gain salvation as taught and believed in Christian doctrine.

Dante's `Divine Comedy', the account of his journey through hell, purgatory and heaven is one of the worlds great poems, and a prime example of a most splendidly realized integration of life with art. More than being merely great poetry, or a chronicle of contemporary events, which it also is, the `Comedy' is a study of human nature by a man quite experienced with it. The main argument I will make in this essay is that Dante's `Comedy' is chiefly a work of historical significance because in it lies the essence of human life across all boundaries of time and place. I feel that such a reading is justified, nay invited, by Dante himself when he says;

The Divine Comedy is considered the greatest work of Dante. The author worked on it for many years and inserted all his internal and external experience in it. He called this poem a comedy meaning its middle style and a happy ending. The Divine Comedy is written in the genre of vision which was highly popular in medieval literature. In this genre, authors described people walking through torments. Dante modified greatly this genre, adding the whole universe to the abyss of Hell. Moreover, he goes personally through all the circles of the otherworldly place where he to his surprise comprehends such entities as truth, love, and beauty. The Divine Comedy is infused with the theme of love, which is especially noticeable when Dante enters Heaven and meets his beloved.

Dante Alighieri’s life of lost love and exile from his home reveals an understanding of Dante’s philosophical epic, The Divine Comedy. The impact from famous classical writers and philosophers effect Dante’s use of interchanging language and style while his undying love for Beatrice remains a constant character in his works.