His was a unique talent whose artistry influenced many and inspired me to create this compilation of 26 of the best Dante quotes. In the 700 years since Dante's passing, his work has grown in stature with each generation, from the Renaissance to the Romantics to the Realists he has been held up as a paradigm of academic learning whose influence has elevated him to become known as one of the greatest literary icons of western culture.ĭante Alighieri was a deep thinking poet who combined the themes of theology and philosophy as an expressive art form, his words were both haunting and mesmerising yet deeply thought provoking as he created a vivid mental imagery of the afterlife all humans contemplate at one time or another before their demise. The descriptive depth of each layer and the philosophical impact of the "Divine Comedy" reflect the imaginative genius of Dante who conceptualises not just every aspect of his perceived Hell, Purgatory and Paradise but the very reasons for their being. The journey through hell would become known as Dante's inferno as he was given a tour by the poet Virgil as he described the nine concentric circles of increasing wickedness that would accumulate with Satan himself at the very heart of hell.Īs the poem progressed, Virgil continued to guide Dante through the repentant souls of purgatory until his role is eclipsed by Beatrice as the poet aligns his personal feelings with his journey through paradise. His lifetime experience was his inspiration for the most famous poem of the middle ages as he penned his epic "Divine Comedy" that was an imaginative journey through Hell, Purgatory and Paradise. While in Rome the Florentine government was overthrown and Dante was forced into an exile that would persist under the threat of being burnt at the stake if he were to return and he would never again set foot inside Florence the city he so loved.Īn accumulation of heartbreak and unfortunate events had provided Dante with a fountain of experience from which he would draw inspiration in his writing and using his expressive vision he would delve deep into his imagination to produce the spark that was to be the literary origins of the Renaissance. However, in a politically unstable period some major differences arose about the Papal influence in Florence and Dante decided to go to Rome as an ambassador to defuse what could have been a volatile situation. In 1289 Dante took up the call to arms to fight for the Papal forces against those of the opposing Holy Roman Emperor in the Battle of Campaldino and once victory had been attained he took up a role in Florentine politics that would see him rise to the lofty position of Prior of Florence. Although he accepted the marital situation he never forgot Beatrice as she and not his wife would become the subject in many of his poems. In his formative years he met and became infatuated with a girl called Beatrice Portinari, in an unfortunate turn of events Dante was promised in marriage to Gemma di Manetto Donati who was the daughter of a powerful political family in Florence. As a young student Dante displayed early promise of the genius that was to come as his interests leaned heavily towards the ancient Roman poets of Ovid and Virgil. In his day Dante's work was a sensation in Italian speaking dominions, his work did garner appreciative compliments elsewhere but, it was not until the Romantic era did it scale the heights of worldwide influence experienced by the ancient Greek and Roman classics.ĭante Alighieri was born into a lower middle class family in the Republic of Florence, this was a volatile period of political instability that bred violence and war for control of the republic. Advertise on Quoteikon, click image for details
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