Florence was known to be the greatest center of art and culture during the glorious Renaissance. It is only fit that it also happened to be the birthplace of one of history’s greatest poets, Dante Alighieri. He was born in the May of 1265, the son of Alighiero Di Bellincione and Bella. Unfortunately, Bella passed away when Dante was only five years old. However, life continued on for young Dante and his family. His father soon remarried and Dante began going to school, as was common for boys in Florence at the time. Among other subjects, he studied Latin, public speaking, and philosophy, and was involved in the reawakening of Italian scholarship and art. One of the most significant events in his childhood was him meeting Beatrice, his love
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Though he was able to work up the courage to speak to her, he wasn’t able to make himself confess his true feelings to her. Dante pretended to be in love with her friends, hoping to mask his love for her. Instead, his actions only angered and offended her. Beatrice refused to speak with him ever again and she died a few years later believing that Dante had no feelings for her. Devastated by his first love’s death, Dante vows to remember and honor her forever. She plays a huge role in The Divine Comedy. Because of the tradition of arranged marriages, Dante later marries a woman named Gemma and has four children with her. Though his poetry is what he is most well known for, Dante was a man of many talents. He was also a prior and a soldier at one point. At that time, being involved with politics and government was risky business. In the famous battle between two noble families, the “Blacks” and the “Whites”, Dante happened to be on the losing side and was exiled from …show more content…
He was disappointed by what he saw. Corruption and immorality were common, especially among figures of wealth and power. To speak out against this wickedness, he decided to write an epic poem, describing the evils he saw. We know this poem to be The Divine Comedy. It is divided into three parts, Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. In Inferno, he describes his trek through the 9 circles of Hell, led by the famous Roman poet, Virgil. As they descend deeper into Hell, the sinners become greater and the punishments more severe. They see criminals of all kinds until they finally reach the center of the earth, where Satan himself resides. After clambering out of Hell, they see the mountain of Purgatory. That is where Inferno ends and Purgatorio begins. In Purgatorio, Dante is escorted by Virgil yet again. They ascend the mountain of Purgatory, where souls must stay until they repent their sins and prove themselves worthy of Heaven. Once they reach the top, Virgil disappears. Alone and frightened, Dante is terrified when he sees a figure approaching him. However, once he hears her voice, he realizes that it is Beatrice, his first love. She is his guide through Heaven, in the last part of this poem, Paradiso. They ascend through the nine levels of Heaven until they reach the very top. There, Dante is struck by a brilliant vision of God, and there marks the end of this literary masterpiece. Though Dante wasn’t the first or
Though he was able to work up the courage to speak to her, he wasn’t able to make himself confess his true feelings to her. Dante pretended to be in love with her friends, hoping to mask his love for her. Instead, his actions only angered and offended her. Beatrice refused to speak with him ever again and she died a few years later believing that Dante had no feelings for her. Devastated by his first love’s death, Dante vows to remember and honor her forever. She plays a huge role in The Divine Comedy. Because of the tradition of arranged marriages, Dante later marries a woman named Gemma and has four children with her. Though his poetry is what he is most well known for, Dante was a man of many talents. He was also a prior and a soldier at one point. At that time, being involved with politics and government was risky business. In the famous battle between two noble families, the “Blacks” and the “Whites”, Dante happened to be on the losing side and was exiled from …show more content…
He was disappointed by what he saw. Corruption and immorality were common, especially among figures of wealth and power. To speak out against this wickedness, he decided to write an epic poem, describing the evils he saw. We know this poem to be The Divine Comedy. It is divided into three parts, Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. In Inferno, he describes his trek through the 9 circles of Hell, led by the famous Roman poet, Virgil. As they descend deeper into Hell, the sinners become greater and the punishments more severe. They see criminals of all kinds until they finally reach the center of the earth, where Satan himself resides. After clambering out of Hell, they see the mountain of Purgatory. That is where Inferno ends and Purgatorio begins. In Purgatorio, Dante is escorted by Virgil yet again. They ascend the mountain of Purgatory, where souls must stay until they repent their sins and prove themselves worthy of Heaven. Once they reach the top, Virgil disappears. Alone and frightened, Dante is terrified when he sees a figure approaching him. However, once he hears her voice, he realizes that it is Beatrice, his first love. She is his guide through Heaven, in the last part of this poem, Paradiso. They ascend through the nine levels of Heaven until they reach the very top. There, Dante is struck by a brilliant vision of God, and there marks the end of this literary masterpiece. Though Dante wasn’t the first or