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yamittr 's review for:
The Divine Comedy
by Dante Alighieri
Should we treat a piece of art differently from a monument? With art, we might consider how it makes us feel or what it means to us. Occasionally, we might wonder what the artist intended for us to think. A monument, however, imposes its purpose on us—it stands as a statement of its time, and without knowing its context, its meaning can be difficult to grasp.
The Divine Comedy is here treated like a monument of literature. And like most monuments, it requires explanation. With some helpful notes from the translator, Dante’s intentions become clearer: he damns his political opponents to Hell, rewards his allies in Paradise, and even allows for his pagan heroes to obtain absolution in Purgatory. The writing is poetic, the imagery vivid, but Dante’s purpose seems unmistakable—settling scores and ensuring the legacy of those exiled, including himself, during the Ghibelline-Guelf conflict in 14th-century Italy.
"Abandon hope, all ye who enter here" remains one of the most ominous lines in literature, but as Virgil reminds Dante while guiding him through the Inferno, it is vulgar to eavesdrop on the damned. Still, here this monument stands.
The Divine Comedy is here treated like a monument of literature. And like most monuments, it requires explanation. With some helpful notes from the translator, Dante’s intentions become clearer: he damns his political opponents to Hell, rewards his allies in Paradise, and even allows for his pagan heroes to obtain absolution in Purgatory. The writing is poetic, the imagery vivid, but Dante’s purpose seems unmistakable—settling scores and ensuring the legacy of those exiled, including himself, during the Ghibelline-Guelf conflict in 14th-century Italy.
"Abandon hope, all ye who enter here" remains one of the most ominous lines in literature, but as Virgil reminds Dante while guiding him through the Inferno, it is vulgar to eavesdrop on the damned. Still, here this monument stands.