Dante's Divine Comedy
A Reading Guide

Vividly illustrates the originality and energy of the Divine Comedy, for readers old and new, through Dante's singular language.

K. P. Clarke (Author)

9781009400824, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 30 May 2024

306 pages
23 x 15 x 1.5 cm, 0.449 kg

'Clarke's volume patiently and precisely opens the language of Dante's great poem to interpretation, offering a toolkit for approaching its grammar, rhythm, and vocabulary as well as a series of elegant examples of commentary and close reading. This will be an indispensable companion for the English-speaking reader of Dante who seeks to dwell in the poetry of the Divine Comedy.' Heather Webb, University of Cambridge

The first of its kind, this guide enables readers to get as close as possible to the words of Dante's Comedy. Opening up interpretative possibilities that only become available through reading the poem in its original form, it equips students with an enjoyable and accessible grammatical introduction to the language of early Italian. Including a series of passages drawn from Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso, the text is accompanied by a detailed glossary, followed by a commentary which pays particular attention to matters of language and style. Further reading and study questions are provided at the end of each section, prompting new and fresh ways of engaging with the text. Readers will discover how, by listening to Dante in his own words, one may newly and more fully appreciate the breathtaking beauty of the Comedy.

Part I: 1. The Comedy from manuscript to print
2. Dante's Italian
3. Dante's words
4. Pronouncing Italian
5. Nouns
6. Articles
7. Prepositions
8. Conjunctions
9. Adjectives
10. Pronouns
11. Adverbs
12. Verbs
13. The Meter and Form of the Comedy
Part II. Passages for Commentary and Close-Reading: 14. Section 1: Inf. 1. 1-27, Inf. 2. 28-36
15. Section 2: Inf. 3. 1-9, Inf. 4. 73-102
16. Section 3: Inf. 5. 82-108, Inf. 10. 61-69
17. Section 4: Inf. 26. 112-142, Inf. 32. 133-139–Inf. 33. 1-9
18. Section 5: Pg. 1. 1-21, Pg. 5. 130-136
19. Section 6: Pg. 10. 28-54, Pg. 21. 7-18
20. Section 7: Pg. 22. 64-93, Pg. 24. 49-63
21. Section 8: Pg. 26. 106-135, Pg. 30. 40-57
22. Section 9: Pd. 1. 1-36, Pd. 9. 31-42
23. Section 10: Pd. 11. 43-72, Pd. 12. 70-81
24. Section 11: Pd. 15. 25-48, Pd. 26. 124-138
25. Section 12: Pd. 30. 46-54, Pd. 33. 115-145.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: general [DSB]