Dante Alighieri
May 14, 1265 – September 05, 1321
Place of Birth:
Florence, Republic of Florence
Place of Death:
Ravenna, Papal States
Categories:
Poetry
Durante degli Alighieri (duˈrante deʎʎ aliˈɡjɛːri), commonly known by his short name Dante Alighieri or simply as Dante (ˈdante; langˈdɑːnteɪ, UK also ˈdænti,_-teɪ; c.:1265 – 1321), was a major Italian poet of the Late Middle Ages. His Divine Comedy, originally called it Comedìa (modern Italian: Commedia) and later christened it Divina by Giovanni Boccaccio, is widely considered the most important poem of the Middle Ages and the greatest literary work in the Italian language.
In the late Middle Ages, most poetry was written in Latin, accessible only to the most educated readers. In De vulgari eloquentia (On Eloquence in the Vernacular), however, Dante defended use of the vernacular in literature. He would even write in the Tuscan dialect for works such as The New Life (1295) and the Divine Comedy; this highly unorthodox choice set a precedent that important later Italian writers such as Petrarch and Boccaccio would follow.
Dante was instrumental in establishing the literature of Italy, and his depictions of Hell, Purgatory and Heaven provided inspiration for the larger body of Western art. He is cited as an influence on John Milton, Geoffrey Chaucer and Alfred Tennyson, among many others. In addition, the first use of the interlocking three-line rhyme scheme, or the terza rima, is attributed to him. In Italy, he is often referred to as it il Sommo Poeta ("the Supreme Poet") and it il Poeta; he, Petrarch, and Boccaccio are also called "the three fountains" or "the three crowns".
In the late Middle Ages, most poetry was written in Latin, accessible only to the most educated readers. In De vulgari eloquentia (On Eloquence in the Vernacular), however, Dante defended use of the vernacular in literature. He would even write in the Tuscan dialect for works such as The New Life (1295) and the Divine Comedy; this highly unorthodox choice set a precedent that important later Italian writers such as Petrarch and Boccaccio would follow.
Dante was instrumental in establishing the literature of Italy, and his depictions of Hell, Purgatory and Heaven provided inspiration for the larger body of Western art. He is cited as an influence on John Milton, Geoffrey Chaucer and Alfred Tennyson, among many others. In addition, the first use of the interlocking three-line rhyme scheme, or the terza rima, is attributed to him. In Italy, he is often referred to as it il Sommo Poeta ("the Supreme Poet") and it il Poeta; he, Petrarch, and Boccaccio are also called "the three fountains" or "the three crowns".