Dante's Divine Comedy: A Reading Guide [Paperback]

Vividly illustrates the originality and energy of the Divine Comedy, for readers old and new, through Dante's singular language.This essential guide to reading Dante reveals the originality and power of the language of the Divine Comedy. It will enlighten and equip those already familiar with the poem, as well as those approaching it for the first time.This essential guide to reading Dante reveals the originality and power of the language of the Divine Comedy. It will enlighten and equip those already familiar with the poem, as well as those approaching it for the first time.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. 133-139Inf. 33. 1-9; 18. Section 5: Pg. 1. 1-21, Pg. 5. 130-136; 19. Section 6: Pg. 10. 28-54, Pg. 21lƒ#