Dante Alighieri, Medieval Italian literature scholar in Florence, Italy
This work is an epic poem describing a journey through three realms of the afterlife: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The narrative follows a specific rhyme structure called terza rima that intricately links the verses together.
It was created by a Florentine poet who was exiled from his hometown in 1302 and subsequently traveled across Italy. He completed this masterpiece during his exile in various cities before eventually settling in Ravenna.
He chose to write his major work in the Tuscan dialect rather than Latin, which helped establish the modern Italian language. This decision made his writing accessible to common people and shaped how literature developed across Europe.
The text is divided into 100 cantos distributed equally among three sections, allowing readers to approach it in manageable segments. Many people begin with summaries or excerpts, which helps them navigate the more challenging passages.
A girl the poet met at age nine inspired him throughout his writing life. This childhood encounter sparked a deep emotional connection that appears in many of his poetic works.
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