A-Z: General definitions: Dante

Definition

Dante Alighieri was born in 1265 and died in 1321. He had a very active early adulthood which saw him fall passionately in love and involve himself in the politics of his native city, Florence. In 1301, he was exiled from Florence for his beliefs and lived the rest of his life in Rome.

During his time in exile, he wrote The Divine Comedy. This was written in a form of poetic verse called terza rima. It describes Dante's journey through hell, purgatory and paradise, guided first by the Roman poet Virgil and then by Beatrice, the subject of his love. It has become one of the most significant texts in Western literature.

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