Durante Alighieri, known simply as “Danteâ€, was referred to as “The Supreme Poet†since he was considered one of the greatest poets of the Middle Ages. Dante is most known for his masterpiece, The Divine Comedy, which follows him through Hell, Purgatory and Heaven. He hailed from Florence, Italy and was a philosopher and political thinker (it was his deep involvement in the politics of the day that would get him exiled from Florence and condemned to death should he ever return). This experience would have a profound impact on Dante’s writing. Not only was The Divine Comedy a soul’s journey toward God, but it was also a condemnation of Florence and the behavior of those in power. Dante wrote his poetry in Italian regional dialects and vernacular mixed with Latin and is often credited for inventing the Italian language (in fact, the French call Italian “la langue de Danteâ€). The Divine Comedy would have a major influence on the development of western literature. After the success of the Comedy, Dante was invited back to Florence but under terms he refused. He lived out the rest of his life in exile.
