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poem “Divine,” a reflection on its
spiritual content as well as the
extreme beauty of its style.Politics and poetry
When Dante began The Divine
Comedy—a work that was to take
him 12 years to complete—he
was already established as a poet,
working in the dolce stil novo
(“sweet new style”), a movement
characterized by its introspection,
and liberal use of metaphor and
symbolism. Politics and personal
passions were the subjects of his
poetry, and late 13th-century Italy
provided plenty of inspiration.
Dante himself was embroiled
in the political life of his beloved
Florence, which was involved, along
with the rest of Italy, in struggles
for power between the church
(the Pope) and the state (the Holy
Roman Emperor). Key figures from
these conflicts were portrayed in
The Divine Comedy, and the
inclusion of real people provided
a degree of sensationalism that
contributed to the poem’s success.
Dante was eventually exiled
from Florence for his political
allegiances and, although it greatlypained him, his removal from
public affairs allowed him the
distance to produce his celebrated
allegory of the philosophy, morals,
and beliefs of his medieval world.
The Divine Comedy is
structured in thirds, reflecting
the significance of the number
three in Christian theology (where
it symbolizes the trinity of the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit).
The journey comprises three books
(”Hell,” ”Purgatory,” and “Heaven”),
each with 33 cantos, or chapters,
plus one introductory chapter, to
make 100 cantos in total. It is
written in a verse style calledTHE DIVINE COMEDY
terza rima, an interlocking three-
line rhyme scheme, which was
developed by Dante.
Told from a first-person
perspective, the work is in the
form of an eschatological journey
(one about death and the afterlife).
The story begins in a dark forest, a
symbol of sinful life on Earth. Dante
attempts to climb a mountain to
find his way out of the forest, but
his path is blocked by wild animals
(which represent sins). Hopeless,
weak, and in need of spiritual
guidance, he meets the Roman
poet Virgil, who has been sent to
guide him by Beatrice, the lost
love of his past. For Dante, Virgil
represents classical thinking,
reason, and poetry. Virgil assures
Dante he will achieve salvation—
but only after he has journeyed
through the afterlife. The two then
begin their journey, starting with
the descent into Hell.Journey to the afterlife
The first book of The Divine
Comedy describes the levels
of hell, and the ways in which
punishments are tailored to the
sins of individuals. The souls of
flatterers, for example, spend
eternity buried in excrement, a
reminder of the excrement that
they spoke on Earth. Seducers are
tormented by horned devils who
crack their whips over them until
they become lumps of well-beaten
flesh. In his visceral descriptions
of the punishments and layout of
hell, Dante invites readers to reflect
on their own failings, to change
direction, and to live in harmony
with other people and with God.Ninth^ Sphere^ (Primum^ Mobile):^ The^ Nine^ Orders
of An
gelsEighth^ Sphere^ (Fixed^ Stars):^ The^ Triumph (^) o
f Chri
st
Seve
nth^ S
phere^ (Saturn):^ The^ Contemplat
ives
Sixth
Sphere^ (
Jupiter): The Just
Ruler
s
Fift
h^ Sp
here^ (M
ars):^ The^ Warriors of
(^) the (^) F
aith
Purgatory is a mountain of stepped
terraces where the souls of the penitent
undergo a different kind of suffering on
each level to purge themselves of sin
and enter the Earthly Paradise.
There is no greater sorrow
than to recall happiness in
times of misery.
The Divine Comedy
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