The Divine ComedyThe Divine Comedy is an epic poem written by Dante Alighieri. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work of Italian literature, and is seen as one of the greatest works of world literature. The poem's imaginative and allegorical vision of the afterlife is a culmination of the medieval world-view as it had developed in the Western Church. It helped establish the Tuscan dialect, in which it is written, as the standardized Italian language. It is divided into three parts: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. On the surface, the poem describes Dante's travels through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven; but at a deeper level, it represents allegorically the soul's journey towards God. At this deeper level, Dante draws on medieval Christian theology and philosophy, especially Thomistic philosophy and the Summa Theologica of Thomas Aquinas. The poem is written in the first person, and tells of Dante's journey through the three realms of the dead, lasting from the night before Good Friday to the Wednesday after Easter in the spring of 1300. The Roman poet Virgil guides him through Hell and Purgatory; Beatrice, Dante's ideal woman, guides him through Heaven. Beatrice was a Florentine woman whom he had met in childhood and admired from afar in the mode of the then-fashionable courtly love tradition. |
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... thou art, or shade or real man!" He answered me: "Not man; man once I was, And both my parents were of Lombardy, And ... thou, why goest thou back to such annoyance? Why climb'st thou not the Mount Delectable, Which is the source and ...
... thou art, or shade or real man!" He answered me: "Not man; man once I was, And both my parents were of Lombardy, And ... thou, why goest thou back to such annoyance? Why climb'st thou not the Mount Delectable, Which is the source and ...
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... thy volume! Thou art my master, and my author thou, Thou art alone the one from whom I took The beautiful style that has done honour to me. Behold the beast, for which I have turned back; Do thou protect me from her, famous Sage, For ...
... thy volume! Thou art my master, and my author thou, Thou art alone the one from whom I took The beautiful style that has done honour to me. Behold the beast, for which I have turned back; Do thou protect me from her, famous Sage, For ...
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... thou shalt second be." And I, who of his colour was aware, Said: "How shall I come, if thou art afraid, Who'rt wont ... thou hast taken. Let us go on, for the long way impels us." Thus he went in, and thus he made me enter The foremost ...
... thou shalt second be." And I, who of his colour was aware, Said: "How shall I come, if thou art afraid, Who'rt wont ... thou hast taken. Let us go on, for the long way impels us." Thus he went in, and thus he made me enter The foremost ...
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... thou who honourest every art and science, Who may these be, which such great honour have, That from the fashion of the rest it parts them?" And he to me: "The honourable name, That sounds of them above there in thy life, Wins grace in ...
... thou who honourest every art and science, Who may these be, which such great honour have, That from the fashion of the rest it parts them?" And he to me: "The honourable name, That sounds of them above there in thy life, Wins grace in ...
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... thou that art conducted through this Hell," He said to me, "recall me, if thou canst; Thyself wast made before I was unmade." And I to him: "The anguish which thou hast Perhaps doth draw thee out of my remembrance, So that it seems not ...
... thou that art conducted through this Hell," He said to me, "recall me, if thou canst; Thyself wast made before I was unmade." And I to him: "The anguish which thou hast Perhaps doth draw thee out of my remembrance, So that it seems not ...
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Common terms and phrases
already answered appeared art thou ascend aught Beatrice began behold behoves beneath Bolgia breast canst Canto Chiron Christ circle Cocytus colour coruscation descended desire divine dost thou doth downward e'er earth eternal evermore face father feet fire flame gazing Geryon goeth grace hand hear heard heart heaven holy honour Inferno knowest Lady laments Latian light little flames living lofty look Malebolge Malebranche Master mind mortal mount moved never o'er onward Paradiso passed Phlegyas Pistoia Purgatorio rays round seemed shade Sichaeus side sight singing smile soon Sordello soul speak speech spirit splendour star Statius sweet tell thee thine eyes things thou art thou dost thou hast thou seest thou shalt thou wouldst thyself tow'rds truth turned Tuscan twill twixt unto uplifted upward Virgilius virtue voice weeping wheel Whence Whereat Wherefore wherein wholly wings wont words