Dante's Muse
Dante and Beatrice
Holiday, H. (1883). Dante and Beatrice [Painting]. Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, England.
Dante's Beatrice and the new life of poetry
Dante’s Beatrice and the new life of poetry is a journal article from the New England Review that discusses Dante and Beatrice Portinari. Beatrice is often referred to as Dante’s muse, and he has written many poems for her despite not knowing her all too well. Lewis gives background to their relationship and how that has shaped Dante’s poetry, highlighted in La Vita Nuova.
Sources and Information About the Life of Dante Alighieri
In this section you can find sources related to the life of Dante Alighieri. Dante (1265-1321) was a writer and poet. He was also heavily involved in politics within the Republic of Florence. Dante was a member of the White Guelphs, who were expelled from Florence in 1302. Dante was then exiled from Florence in the same year. While in exile, Dante wrote the intricate epic poem, the Divine Comedy, which shaped Western literature and the Italian language.
Books
Dante Encyclopedia by ISBN: 9780815316596Publication Date: 2000-04-06The Dante Encyclopedia is a one stop place for information regarding the life and works of Dante Alighieri. The author describes this work saying, “since Dante’s imagination is so fundamentally encyclopedic in nature, it is only fitting that this volume reflect the poet's demiurge by taking the form of an encyclopedia”. (Lansing & Barolini, 2000, viii). A lot of Dante’s writing relates to the events that have occurred in his life, and this encyclopedia provides context to the events surrounding Dante’s life. This book allows us to reference abbreviations and latin frequencies that are found from this time period as well as the Italian that Dante used. Formatted alphabetically this resource provides easy access to users to find a specific topic in Dante’s life or works.
Dante by ISBN: 9780691208930Publication Date: 2021-12-14Dante is a biography that was written by John Took. Took acknowledges the fact that Dante’s writings are a great biographical source for himself. It also gives an insightful look into life in the Middle Ages during that time period. Took brings context to Dante's life and works and created a concise biography. The book is written from the Early Years to the Final years and Took corresponds with Dante's writings in those sections. Took also provides Historical Considerations by discussing Florence and the Guelphs and Ghibellines from 1215-1279.
The Life of Dante by ISBN: 9781843910060Publication Date: 2002-07-01Giovanni Boccaccio is another Italian writer who has had significant influence on the culture and language. Boccaccio is most well known for his book, The Decameron, written from a time where The Black Death had taken over Europe. Similar to Dante in a way by taking real life circumstances and applying it to a work of literary fiction. Boccaccio wrote the early idea of a biography, Life of Dante, in 1360. Boccacio gives some of the earliest accounts of a look into Dante’s life whether it be from politics, military, love, and poetry. Not only is this source about Dante, but is a historical source to the time period both Dante and Bocaccio lived in.
Journals/Articles
Found in the journal, Poetry Criticism, authors Gaffke and Sheets provide a biography on the Italian poet, Dante Alighieri. The article provides a concise summary of the lifes and works of Dante Alighieri, as well as surrounding context in his life. The authors also list many of his other works, such as La Vita Nuova. Gaffke and Sheets also provide a glimpse into the critical reception of the poet.
Dante (Dante Alighieri)(1265-1321) from World Poets Vol.1
Jeffrey Schnapp writes a brief biography of Dante Alighieri for the World Poets publication which is a reference source for students and researchers in poets and poetry. Schnapp discusses Dante’s life and works, including the Divine Comedy and La Vita Nuova. Schnapp also highlights several terms relevant to this topic and provides definitions. He also lists all of Dante’s works, and provides many sources written about Dante.
