The Divine Comedy"The meaning of this work is not simple...for we obtain one meaning from the letter of it, and another from that which the letter signifies; and the first is called literal, but the other allegorical or mystical." Thus writes Dante Alighieri to Can Grande della Scala, his patron, about the purpose and raison d' tre of The Divine Comedy. Written between 1308 and the year of Dante's death in 1321, this evocative, moving, and often startling epic poem is widely considered to be the last great work of medieval literature and the first great work of the Renaissance - straddling two worlds on the brink of change. As one of the world's enduring literary heavyweights, its profound Christian message and detailed social and political commentary of fourteenth-century Italy weave a rich tapestry of interpretation, meaning, and symbolism. Dante's allegorical analysis of the mystery of divine revelation to the unsuspecting human soul is beautifully conveyed as a subtle journey of wonder and self-discovery, made personal by characters (and sinners) drawn from his own lineage, contemporary Florentine life, mythology, and the Bible. From the pilgrim's deepening insight into the workings of evil and moral choice (Hell) through to the dramatization of the nature and purpose of moral conversion (Purgatory) to the blissfully mystical ascent before God (Paradise), Dante's cosmic vision remains unparalleled. |
