Dante Alighieri is considered to be one of the most important poets of all time. He experienced both great love and great loss during his lifetime, and expresses much of this in his writing. He expanded Italian, his native tongue, as a literary language by using it instead of Latin. This made his work accessible to all social classes. He set an example for many other poets of the Renaissance with his incredible imagery and talent for verse. He lead a fascinating life, and his works still serve as an inspiration for writers of today.
The Early Years
Dante seems to have had a difficult childhood. He was born between May 21st and June 21st of the year 1265. His family is said to have come from somewhat noble blood, but his father, Alighiero di Bellincione d'Alighieri, was not particularly wealthy. Dante's mother, named Bella, passed away somewhere between 1270 and 1275, when he was still a young child. His father remarried several years later to a woman whose name was Lapa Chiarrissimo. They had two children; a son named Francesco, and a daughter named Gaetana. Dante may also have had another sister whose name is unknown. He most likely attended the Franciscan lower schools, and may even have studied at their schools of philosophy when he grew older. This could have helped him a great deal with his poetry, though he claims to have taught himself the art of writing verse. When Dante was around nine years old, he met a young girl, also around nine, whose name was Beatrice, called "Bice". She later became one of Dante's biggest influences in his writing. Though he seems to have had a somewhat difficult youth, his early life looks to have set him up well for an amazing career ahead.
Dante's Influences
Many people helped to influence Dante's works, both those alive during his lifetime, and those long dead. His family seems to have had surprisingly little impact on him, for they hardly ever appear in his writing. His friendship with Guido Cavalcnti, however, was obviously a large part of his works, especially The Vita Nuova, Dante's first book. They appear to have inspired each other a great deal, and worked together when Dante was a young man. They were both interested in love, and how one could be changed by it. As he grew older, Dante began to follow his own path, and thus branch out from his friend. He was influenced greatly by Virgil, an ancient poet. He used Christianity as somewhat of a base for much of his writing, but it is clear that love was always his main inspiration. Beatrice, or at least the essence of her, appears in all of his works. Dante had a wide range of influences and inspirations, but most of all, he wrote about what it is to be alive.
Dante and Beatrice
Dante had an intense love for Beatrice Portinari, which continued to influence his writing long after his death. He had loved her ever since their first meeting when they were about age nine, at a party at the Portinari household. Throughout his life, he wrote many poems dedicated to her. Though they may only have met twice, this seems to have mattered very little to Dante. He continually visited places around the city with hopes of catching a glimpse of her without her knowledge. He may even have written poems for another woman so as to keep his devotion to Beatrice a secret. The second time he met her, she merely paid him a cordial greeting. When he returned to his room to rest soon after, he dreamt of her. In his dream she was draped in a scarlet cloth, asleep in the arms of a mysterious figure. It turned to him and said, "I am your lord". When the figure awakened her, it forced her to eat Dante's flaming heart. That dream influenced the first sonnet in The Vita Nuova. In around 1287, Beatrice married a banker whose name was Simone dei Bardi. Beatrice died at the young age of 24, in June of 1285. Dante continued to write poems in honor of her memory, even though he wedded Gemma Donati in 1285. They had at least one child, a daughter whose name was Antonia. There may have been another one, a second girl named Beatrice. Dante had a very powerful love for Beatrice. Despite all of the things that brought them apart, and her affections for another man, she was one of his main influences.
Dante's Exile from Florence
Dante's exile from Florence seems to have altered his perspective of the world. When Dante was probably thirty-five years of age, a wealthy Florentine named Donati aspired to gain power over the city's government. He received aid from a man named Charles, brother to King Philip IV of France. They succeeded. Donati then banished every man who opposed him. Dante had been trying for some time to create political peace, but was exiled with the rest for two years. He left his wife and children at home. Dante traveled all across Italy, often staying with princes and other nobles, yet he felt unworthy of their kindness. His exile taught him what it is to be a man apart, nd helped him to see himself through the eyes of others.
The Divine Comedy
Dante's The Divine Comedy is his most famous work. The Divine Comedy is the poet's fictitious journey through the afterlife in three parts. The first book, "Inferno", follows him through Hell with the poet Virgil as his guide. It begins with Dante wakening in a dark wood. He tries to escape back to his home, but finds a lion, a leopard, and a she-wolf blocking his path. Virgil appears, claiming to have been sent by Beatrice to guide him. They enter through the gates of Hell, and travel through the nine concentric circles, becoming progressively more terrible the closer you come to the center. Dante included quite a few people in "Inferno" who he did not think very highly of. The second book, titled "Purgatorio", tells of Dante's journey as it continues through Purgatory. Here, in the supposed middle part of the afterlife, souls await entrance into Heaven as they undergo purification. Some may only stay a few days, while others could be there for several lifetimes. In the final book, "Paradiso", Beatrice guides him into Heaven, where his journey ends. The Divine Comedy was originally published in the three parts it was written in between 1308 and 1321 Dante died in Ravenna later in the year 1321 of malaria, age fifty-six. Over two hundred years after his death, a deluxe version of Comedia was published in Venice, 1555, titled The Divine Comedy. Dante's The Divine Comedy, his most famous work, shows the incredible journey of a man, and also the journey we all supposedly take throughout our lives.
Conclusion
Dante Alighieri was an influential poet of the renaissance, but his works still appear in bookstores today. Referred to as "il sommo poeta" , Italian for "the supreme poet", Dante may be one of the most important poets in history with his gift for writing verse. Dante devoted his whole life to his writing, the city that was home to him, and the woman he loved.