Dante+Alighieri

Dante (real name Durante) Alighieri was born in may or june of 1265. He was married to Gemma di Manetto Donati, who gave birth to 3 (possibly 4) children. His political views led him to be sentanced to death in his hometown, so he escaped, wondering from town to town. His most famous works are his devine comedy, which today is often refered to as "Inferno", "Purgatorio", and "Paradiso". He died in Ravenna in 1321.

=__Poems__=

Inferno[[image:http://odetriunfante.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/luca_signorelli_001.jpg width="381" height="356" align="right" caption="Hell"]] (Hell)
I found the poem to be elegant in everyway. I loved how he used so many metaphores and simply the way he used the language to illustrate what the protaganist is experiencing. He vividly describes every detail of the inferno. There doesn't appear to be a set rhyme scheme. The poem was written as both an allegory and an epic, as some parts of the poem refer to the government during his time period (late 13th and early 14th centuries). The overall theme of the poem is that, depending on if you were an evil or wicked soul in your earthly life, and the severity of the wickedness, you would be sentanced to a specific layer of hell, where you would endure eternal punishment. It tells its readers to be true to god and not to do anything wicked or you will suffer for it in the end.

Canto I I found the opening story very interesting. I find it interesting that when he is being chased by this evil beast, he is to be saved by one of his own to be taken to the lord. I found the first canto elequent and full of metaphores.

[[image:http://enterthestory.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/mount_purgatory_full2.jpg width="350" height="291" align="left" caption="Mt. Purgatory"]]Pugatorio (purgatory)
I found the poem to be nearly the same, but with a sense of hope for those who aren't perfect but are still true to their lord. As with the first poem, the protagonist's experiences are vividly described along with Mount Purgatory. The poem has the same historical context as the last, but the theme is much more hopeful for those far from perfect. It shows that for those who have commited minor sins and never anything to serious will have the chance to purify their souls to reach the Earthly Paridise.

Canto I I found this one canto to be one of the most elegant and interesting in the entire book. Just the thought of him going through hell and escape from its most dangerous regions is poetic in itself.

Paradiso (Paradise)
I found this one to be just as elegant and descriptive as the other two, only this time with the sense that something truely magnificent was awaiting us if we kept true to our lord and no trial could ever be too great for such a paradise. As with the other two, it has no set rhyme scheme and has the same historical context. The theme, however, is much more loving and rewarding. Dante describes very vividly that we will be rewarded beyond beleif if we are true to each other, ourselves, and our creator. == Information found at greatdante.net and bibliographies found within the three books Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. ==