DANTE ALIGHIERIWho is Italy’s poetic genius?

BACKGROUND

• Lived 1265 – 1321

• Born in Florence, Italy (West-central Italy)

• Educated in classical literature and Christian literature

• By 18, he was writing poetry

• Served in army first, then politics and diplomacy

• Dante supported rule by the church

• Public service more important than writing

POLITICS

• City councilman in Florence

• Then higher ranking than councilman

• Also ambassador to other cities

• In 1301, Dante sided with the “White Guelphs”• Against the pope• He was banished from Florence when the “Black Guelphs” took over

• Banished for the rest of his life

INSPIRED

• Courtly love poetry• Wrote these to Beatrice Portinari• Not his wife!• He met her when he was 9, saw her again when he was 18• She died when she was 24

THE DIVINE COMEDY

• Wrote in his exile, 1308• Inferno, Purgatorio, Parasido• Each written in Cantos (Songs) in 3 line stanzas• Significance of 3 for Dante: Three persons in one God – Divine Mystery• He is the main character – traveler = all of humanity• Journeys through hell, purgatory, heaven• Called a comedy because it has a happy ending• Called divine because it is about religion – spirituality

INFERNO AS A CONE UNDER THE EARTH

Page 736 in text has another example of the cone.

An Allegory – (pg. 736)A work with two layers of meaning.• Characters, places,

objects, and events stand for abstract ideas and qualities.

For example: The dark woods stands for how Dante feels spiritually.