Divine Comedy

"Here at last that much suffering reader will find Dante's greatness manifest, and not his greatness only, but his grace, his simplicity, and his affection."-William Dean Howells, The Nation "As a crown to his literary life, Longfellow combines his exquisite scholarship and his poetic skill and experience in the translation of one of the great poems of the world."-Harper's Monthly Enter the unforgettable world of The Inferno and travel with a pair of poets through nightmare landscapes of eternal damnation to the very core of Hell. The first of the three major canticles in La divina commedia (The Divine Comedy), this fourteenth-century allegorical poem begins Dante's imaginary journey from Hell to Purgatory to Paradise. His encounters with historical and mythological creatures--each symbolic of a particular vice or crime--blend vivid and shocking imagery with graceful lyricism in one of the monumental works of world literature. This acclaimed translation was rendered by the beloved nineteenth-century poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. A skilled linguist who taught modern languages at Harvard, Longfellow was among the first to make Dante's visionary poem accessible to American readers.

“The Inferno” is the first part of “The Divine Comedy”, Dante’s epic poem describing man’s progress from hell to paradise. In it, the author is lost in a dark wood, threatened by wild beasts and unable to find the right path to salvation. Notable for its 9 circles of hell, the poem vividly illustrates the poetic justice of punishments faced by earthly sinners. “The Inferno” is perhaps the most popular of the three books of “The Divine Comedy”, which is widely considered the preeminent work in Italian literature. This edition follows the H.F. Cary English translation and features illustrations by Gustave Doré.

With the Roman poet Virgil as his guide, Dante passes through the nine circles of hell to salvation. As the two make their descent through the underworld, the severity of sin being punished increases, such that those in the ninth and deepest pit-the traitors-are encased in ice for eternity. At the centre of Hell, frozen to the waist and beating his wings in torment, is Satan, the one who would have overthrown God. Inferno is the first part of the Divine Comedy, the epic narrative poem by the medieval Italian poet Dante Alighieri. Dante's examination of the afterlife is continued in the remaining two parts of the Comedy, Purgatorio and Paradiso. A masterpiece of world literature, Inferno is a political and spiritual allegory, as well as an exquisite and elaborate imagining of the afterlife and the shape of divine justice.

Most English translations of INFERNO are full of colorful, but meaningless language based on today's modern standards. Some translations are so elaborate that they are as difficult to read as the original Italian version. This translation uses the Longfellow translation as a base, but replaces the obscure or antiquated verbiage with the language of Modern English. This translation could easily be read and understood by today's reader.

On Good Friday eve in the year 1300, a traveler (the narrator, Dante himself) loses his way and wanders into a dark mysterious wood, where he happens upon the ghost of the ancient Roman poet Virgil. Virgil promises to help Dante find his way back to the top of the mountain (Heaven), but first they must traverse the nine levels of Hell. As each concentric circle increases in horror and wickedness, the traveler encounters monsters (human and otherwise) and other fantastical creatures as he comes to understand the various sins of humanity such as lust, gluttony, heresy, and violence toward others. Transformed by his harrowing experience, Dante reaches his mountain-top destination as the sun rises on Easter morning.

In 1867, when Henry Wadsworth Longfellow published the first American edition of The Inferno, Dante was almost unknown in this country. The New England poet and educator, who taught Italian literature at Harvard, introduced Dante's literary genius to the New World with this vibrant blank verse translation of the first and most popular book of the three-part Divine Comedy. Expressed in haunting poetry of great emotional power, The Inferno chronicles Dante's passage through nine circles of the underworld and his encounters with tormented sinners. Combining Aristotelian philosophy, mythology, Roman Catholicism, and thirteenth-century Italian politics, this landmark of world literature forms a unique synthesis of the Christian, classical, and secular worlds. Dante's depictions of hell and its grotesque punishments found their ideal match in the hands of the eminent nineteenth-century illustrator Gustave Doré. Unable to find a sponsor, the artist published his stunning engravings for The Inferno at his own expense. An instant and enduring success, Doré's images made a lasting impression on the public imagination. This volume's enchanting translation and unforgettable illustrations offer readers a perfect blend of literary and artistic skill.

The first section of Dante's Divine Comedy. "They yearn for what they fear for." In the first part of Divine Comedy, Dante, guided by the poet Virgil, plunges to the very depths of Hell and embarks on his arduous journey towards God. By fusing humor and satire with intellect, an immortal Christian allegory of humankind's search for self-knowledge and spiritual enlightenment was created.

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. There is no greater sorrow then to recall our times of joy in wretchedness. Considered one of the greatest medieval poems written in the common vernacular of the time, Dante's Inferno begins on Good Friday in the year 1300. As he wanders through a dark forest, Dante loses his way and stumbles across the ghost of the poet Virgil. Virgil promises to lead him back to the top of the mountain, but to do so, they must pass through Hell, encountering all manner of shocking horrors, sins and evil torments along the way, evoking questions about God's justice, human behavior and Christianity.

Dante Alighieri was born in Florence, Italy in the middle of the 13th century and what is principally known of him comes from his own writings. One of the world's great literary masterpieces, "The Divine Comedy" is at its heart an allegorical tale regarding man's search for divinity. The work is divided into three sections, "Inferno", "Purgatorio", and "Paradiso", each containing thirty-three cantos. It is the narrative of a journey down through Hell, up the mountain of Purgatory, and through the revolving heavens into the presence of God. In this aspect it belongs to the two familiar medieval literary types of the Journey and the Vision, however Dante intended the work to be more than just simple allegory, layering the narrative with rich historical, moral, political, literal, and anagogical context. In order for the work to be more accessible to the common readers of his day, Dante wrote in the Italian language. This was an uncommon practice at the time for serious literary works, which would traditionally be written in Latin. One of the truly great compositions of all time, "The Divine Comedy" has inspired and influenced readers ever since its original creation. Presented here is the second volume of "The Divine Comedy" translated into English verse by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. This edition follows the verse translation of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and includes an introduction by William Warren Vernon.

“Purgatorio” is the second part of “The Divine Comedy”, Dante’s epic poem describing man’s progress from hell to paradise. Having escaped the Inferno, Dante and his guide, the classical Roman poet Virgil, ascend out of the underworld to the Mountain of Purgatory on an island on the far side of the world. The mountain has 9 terraces, seven of which correspond to the seven deadly sins, and two of which constitute an Ante-Purgatory with the Garden of Eden at the summit. Dante writes about sin based on motives in Purgatory, rather than actions as in The Inferno, giving the book a more psychological aspect. Arriving on Easter Sunday, Purgatorio represents the time of human life on earth. This edition follows the H.F. Cary English translation and features illustrations by Gustave Doré.

The second section of Dante's Divine Comedy. "The weapons of divine justice are blunted by the confession and sorrow of the offender." Purgatory is the second volume of The Divine Comedie trilogy. It opens with Dante the poet picturing Dante the pilgrim coming out of the pit of hell and follows his journey through Purgatory where he observes famous historical figures working through their sins.

“Paradiso” is the third and final part of “The Divine Comedy”, Dante’s epic poem describing man’s progress from hell to salvation. In it, the author progresses through nine concentric spheres of heaven. Corresponding with medieval astronomy, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn deal with the four cardinal virtues Prudence, Fortitude, Justice and Temperance. The remaining two spheres are the fixed stars and the Primum Mobile, containing the purely virtuous and the angels, followed by the Empyrean, or God itself, continuing the 9+1 theme that runs throughout the Divine Comedy. The Paradiso is more theological in nature than the Inferno and the Purgatorio, features encounters with several great saints, and finishes with the author’s soul becoming aligned with God's love. This edition follows the H.F. Cary English translation and features illustrations by Gustave Doré.

The third and final section of Dante's Divine Comedy. "Do not be afraid, our fate cannot be taken from us, it is a gift." In this volume, Dante presents a vision of Paradise relying on suggestion rather than concrete description. A journey through the realms of Paradise culminating in a vision of God. This poem also portrays the individual's struggle to attain spiritual illumination.

Long narrative poem originally titled Commedia (about 1555 printed as La divina commedia) written about 1310-14 by Dante. The work is divided into three major sections-Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso-which trace the journey of a man from darkness and error to the revelation of the divine light, culminating in the beatific vision of God. It is usually held to be one of the world's greatest works of literature. The plot of The Divine Comedy is simple: a man is miraculously enabled to visit the souls in Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise. He has two guides: Virgil, who leads him through the Inferno and Purgatorio, and Beatrice, who introduces him to Paradiso. Through these fictional encounters taking place from Good Friday evening in 1300 through Easter Sunday and slightly beyond, Dante the character learns of the exile that is awaiting him (an actual exile that had already occurred at the time of writing). This device allowed Dante not only to create a story out of his exile but also to explain how he came to cope with personal calamity and to offer suggestions for the resolution of Italy's troubles as well.

The Divine Comedy is a narrative poem by Dante Alighieri that describes the author’s travels through Hell (Inferno), Purgatory (Purgatorio), and Paradise (Paradiso). This trio of books, or canticas, is one example of the number three as a theme throughout the work. Each book consists of 33 cantos, which added to an introductory canto, totals 100. Each cantica follows a pattern of 9 phases plus 1 for a total of ten—9 circles of hell plus Lucifer, 9 rings of Mount Purgatory plus the garden of Eden, 9 celestial bodies of Paradise followed by the Empyrean essence of God. Widely considered the preeminent work in Italian literature, it helped establish the Tuscan language as the standardized Italian language. This edition follows the H.F. Cary English translation and features illustrations by Gustave Doré.

The last great literary work of the Middle Ages and the first important book of the Renaissance, Dante's Divine Comedy culminates in this third and final section, Paradiso. The 14th-century allegory portrays a medieval perspective on the afterlife, tracing the poet's voyage across three realms - Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise - to investigate the concepts of sin, guilt, and redemption. Expressed in sublime verse, the trilogy concludes with this challenging and rewarding venture into the dwelling place of God, angels, and the souls of the faithful. Guided by Beatrice, the incarnation of beatific love, Dante undergoes an intellectual journey from doubt to faith. Beatrice instructs the poet in scholastic theology as they pass through the nine spheres of Paradise to the Empyrean, a realm of pure light in which the redeemed experience the bliss of God's immediate presence. This edition features the renowned translation by American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and serves as a companion volume to the Dover editions of Inferno and Purgatorio.