The Divine Comedy; The Carlyle - Wicksteed Translation, Complete and Unabridged

by Dante Alighieri

The Wicksteed Translation Unabridged. Introduction by the Late C. H. Grandgent. Wonderful colour illustrations by George Grosz. Original clear mylar dustjacket with imprinted label laid on.

Hardcover

Published January 1, 1951

About the author

Dante Alighieri, or simply Dante (May 14/June 13 1265 – September 13/14, 1321), is one of the greatest poets in the Italian language; with the story-teller, Boccaccio, and the poet, Petrarch, he forms the classic trio of Italian authors. Dante Alighieri was born in the city-state Florence in 1265. He first saw the woman, or rather the child, who was to become the poetic love of his life when he was almost nine years old and she was some months younger. In fact, Beatrice married another man, Simone di' Bardi, and died when Dante was 25, so their relationship existed almost entirely in Dante's imagination, but she nonetheless plays an extremely important role in his poetry. Dante attributed all the heavenly virtues to her soul and imagined, in his masterpiece The Divine Comedy, that she was his guardian angel who alternately berated and encouraged him on his search for salvation.

Politics as well as love deeply influenced Dante's literary and emotional life. Renaissance Florence was a thriving, but not a peaceful city: different opposing factions continually struggled for dominance there. The Guelfs and the Ghibellines were the two major factions, and in fact that division was important in all of Italy and other countries as well. The Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor were political rivals for much of this time period, and in general the Guelfs were in favor of the Pope, while the Ghibellines supported Imperial power. By 1289 in the battle of Campaldino the Ghibellines largely disappeared from Florence. Peace, however, did not insue. Instead, the Guelf party divided between the Whites and the Blacks (Dante was a White Guelf). The Whites were more opposed to Papal power than the Blacks, and tended to favor the emperor, so in fact the preoccupations of the White Guelfs were much like those of the defeated Ghibellines. In this divisive atmosphere Dante rose to a position of leadership. in 1302, while he was in Rome on a diplomatic mission to the Pope, the Blacks in Florence seized power with the help of the French (and pro-Pope) Charles of Valois. The Blacks exiled Dante, confiscating his goods and condemning him to be burned if he should return to Florence.

Dante never returned to Florence. He wandered from city to city, depending on noble patrons there. Between 1302 and 1304 some attempts were made by the exiled Whites to retrieve their position in Florence, but none of these succeeded and Dante contented himself with hoping for the appearance of a new powerful Holy Roman Emperor who would unite the country and banish strife. Henry VII was elected Emperor in 1308, and indeed laid seige to Florence in 1312, but was defeated, and he died a year later, destroying Dante's hopes. Dante passed from court to court, writing passionate political and moral epistles and finishing his Divine Comedy, which contains the Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. He finally died in Ravenna in 1321.

Reviews

[Teo]

Looking forward to taking a Great Courses class on this book. Some very moving parts in the Paradiso.

[Christa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Someone picked this for book club. I read the Inferno 30 yrs ago in a special summer program for high school students at a college. This time I listened to the book mostly I admit as background during tasks & exercising, where my mind would wander in and out. It is very soothing listening. I probably would have engaged more & retained more if I had read this book physically instead of audio.
Luckily I was able to find a Catholics courses audio book of lectures explaining each of the Canticles making up the Divine Comedy. It has been really helpful in my understanding of what is going on. I think I will probably read the internet cliff notes version of the book to remember what the order of each ring is.
I do think Inferno was the most interesting which is probably why it seems like it is the only part really discussed and quoted a lot. I guess we are more interested in the train wreck that sin causes in lives than in the journey towards being perfected from the natural man aspect.
I did enjoy the experience of listening to the whole book & parts did jump out & inspire various trains of uplift and thought. So even though it was written 1300 ish it still has meaning and impact today. I see why it is still part of our classical literature & has staying power.