Dante

Giving careful consideration to the social, cultural, and historical contexts in which he wrote, this volume examines the scope and significance of Dante's work. An inquisitive guide to one of literature's most important authors, it explores the various influences that shaped his writing, from cultural traditions and exile, to political figures and the works of his contemporaries. Examining a wide range of Dante's writing, with an emphasis on his Commedia, the book also outlines the reception, appreciation, and interpretation of Dante's work by later readers, from the fourteenth century to the present, and it considers the impact of his work on the visual and performing arts. Other distinctive features are new translations of substantial passages from Dante's poems, new translations of the writings of his contemporaries, explanatory diagrams of Dante's 'other-worlds', and a section of illustrations by medieval and modern artists. A full bibliography with relevant web-resources is also included. More than just an overview of Dante's life and work, this volume builds a vivid and complex picture of his imagination, intellect, and literary presence.

Nick Havely has taught courses on Dante and on medieval literature for over thirty years at the University of York. His published work on Italian trecento poetry began with a volume of translations: Chaucer's Boccaccio: Sources for Troilus and the Knight's and Franklin's Tales (1980; reissued 1992) and includes Dante's Modern Afterlife: Reception and Response from Blake to Heaney (1998) and Dante and the Franciscans: Poverty and the Papacy in the 'Commedia' (2004). He has recently been awarded a Leverhulme Research Fellowship for his next project, which is a study entitled Dante in the English-Speaking World, from the Fourteenth Century to the Present.