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Explore the life and works of Dante Alighieri, an influential poet and spiritual writer from Florence. Learn about his personal life, career as a poet, and the profound influences on his masterpiece, the Divine Comedy.
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DANTE ALIGHIERI:"Dante and Shakespeare divide the modern world between them. There is no third.”(“Dante Alighieri, Poet, Spiritual Writer.”) By Chris Miller Alec Frisvold Eric Zheng
Early Life • Born in 1265 in Florence, Italy • Into family that supported Guelphs (political party in Italy) • Guelphs supported Pope • Against Ghebillins for control of Florence • Ghebillins supported German emperor • Mother was Bella degli Abati • Died when he was 7 • Father was Alighiero di Bellincione d'Alighiero • Died in 1280s • Brunetto Latini, influential political figure, became father figure
Early Life (cont’d) • At age 12 he was promised to his future wife:, Gemma Donati, who was 10 years old. • At age 9 he had already fallen in love with Folco Portinari's daughter Bici (he called her Beatrice), who was also 9 years old. • Had 4 children with Gemma Donati • Jacopo, Pietro, Giovanni and Antonia
Personal Life • Married in 1285 and began family • Had 3 children • Fought at Battle of Campaldino at age 24 • Guelphs vs. Ghebillins • Exiled from Florence in 1302 • Pope Boniface VIII allowed for “Blacks” (faction of Guelphs that more supported Papacy) to exile White (more moderate faction) leadership, who Dante was a part of • Never returned to Florence • By this time served as a statesman, poet, and language theorist
Personal Life (cont’d) • In 1319 moved from Verona to Ravenna • where he completed the Paradiso • where he died in 1321. • Buried in Church of San Pier Maggiore
Career as Poet • Most influenced by Guido Cavalcanti ("Dante Alighieri.” plato.stanford.edu.) • Reknowned for natural philosophy • Wrote the canzone (Italian ballad), “Donna mi prega” deals with “radical Aristotelianism” • Purpose was to describe experience of love • Vita Nuova • Describes Dante’s love for Beatrice • Goes into his passion and “fiery accidents” of love ("Dante Alighieri.” plato.stanford.edu)
Career as Poet (cont’d) • IL Convivio • More about being noble and knight-like (resisting temptation) rather than being swept up by emotion (“Dante Alighieri, Poet, Spiritual Writer.”) • Collection of his longest poems and unfinished allegorical commentary • De Vulgari Eloquentia • Focuses on the use of vernacular (everyday language or native language) in poetry • Not just Latin • In Dante’s case, he wrote it in Italian instead
Influences on the Divine Comedy • Religious influences • Bitterness over Pope Boniface may have influenced his messianic sense of imperial authority (“Dante Alighieri” kirjasto.sci.fi.) • Beatific vision definition: the direct knowledge of God enjoyed by the blessed in heaven • This is what Dante seeks in his Divine Comedy • Romantic influences • Beatrice Portinari and Dante met twice during their lives (she died at 24 in 1290s). These encounters are separated by periods of nine years • Corresponds with Dante’s use of 3 and multiples of 3 in his works, and is also derived from the Holy Trinity (“Beatrice Portinari.”) • Beatrice served as ultimate symbol of salvation in the Comedy (“Dante Alighieri.” en.wikipedia.org.)
Influences on the Divine Comedy (cont’d) • Romantic influences (cont’d) • Dante expresses “courtly love” for Beatrice. • She is seen as savior that removes all evil temptations from him • In Paradiso, Beatrice is the incarnation of beatific love and becomes Dante’s new guide. • As her name suggests, she leads him to beatific vision (“Beatrice Portinari”)
Influences on the Divine Comedy (cont’d) • Influential people: • Guido Cavalcanti for ideas of love, poetry, and natural philosophy • Aristotle for ideals. Dante cited many of his works. • Thomas Aquinas for his derivation of the Ethics • Virgil, who is a poet that acts as a guide in the Divine Comedy
Works Cited • “Wetherbee, Winthrop. "Dante Alighieri.” plato.stanford.edu. 18 Dec. 2009. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2011 Edition). 23 Apr. 2012 <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2011/entries/dante/> • Petri Liukkonen. “Dante Alighieri.” kirjasto.sci.fi. 2008. Books and Writers. 23 Apr. 2012 <http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/dante.htm>. • “Dante Alighieri.” en.wikipedia.org. 23 Apr. 2012. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 24 Apr. 2012 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dante_Alighieri>. • “Beatrice Portinari.” en.wikipedia.org. 4 Mar. 2012. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 24 Apr. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrice_Portinari> • James E. Kiefer. “Dante Alighieri, Poet, Spiritual Writer.” justus.anglican.org. 29 August 1999 Biographical sketches of memorable Christians of the past. 24 Apr. 2012 <http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/244.html>.