SOME WORDS ABOUT DANTE AND THE DIVINE COMEDY

WHEN THE CHILDREN UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF MONEY, THEY LOSE THE PARADISE THEY HAVE IN THE EARTH.

THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO REGAIN THIS PARADISE: THROUGH LOVE AND POETRY.

YOU MAY SAY THE MAN IS THE UNHAPPIEST OF ALL THE ANIMALS BECAUSE HE IS THE ONLY WHO KNOWS HE IS GOING TO DIE SOME DAY. BUT AT THE SAME TIME YOU MAY SAY TOO THAT THE MAN IS THE MOST REMARKABLE OF ALL THE ANIMALS BECAUSE EVEN KNOWING HE IS GOING TO DIE SOME DAY, HE IS CAPABLE TO LAUGH, CREATE AND LOVE.

DANTE ALIGHIERI WAS BORN IN FLORENCE AND DIED IN RAVENNA. IN SPITE OF HIS TORMENTED LIFE, DANTE WAS CALLED THE “POET OF HOPE”. ACCORDING TO HIS OWN WORDS HE WAS LED FROM HELL TO PURGATORY BY VIRGIL´S HANDS, THAT IS, THE POETRY, AND FROM PURGATORY TO HEAVEN BY BEATRICE´S HANDS, THAT IS, THE LOVE.

SO, THROUGH LOVE AND POETRY HE MANAGED TO REGAIN HIS PARADISE, BECAUSE EVERYTHING SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT HIS CLOSING DAYS IN RAVENNA WERE SURROUNDED BY CERTAIN CONTENTMENT, WHERE HE WAS GREATLY ESTEERNED AND HAS A LARGE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS.

HE WAS BURIED BEFORE THE DOOR OF THE PRINCIPAL CHURCH OF THE CITY WITH THE HIGHEST HONORS AND IN THE HABIT OF A POET AND A GREAT PHILOSOPHER.

TO DANTE POETRY AND PHILOSOPHY WERE THE SAME THING AND HE WAS RIGHT, BECAUSE THE PURPOSE OF THE REAL POETRY AS THE PURPOSE OF PHILOSOPHY LIES  IN THE DISCOVERY OF TRUTH, STATEMENT OF TRUTH, DISSEMINATION OF TRUTH AND SOUND CONCEPTS.

THE DISSEMINATION OF TRUTHS DOESN´T CONTAIN ANYTHING NEW, DOESN´T CONTAIN ANYTHING THAT WILL EVER BE OLD, SIMPLY BECAUSE IT IS PERENNIAL, NO MATTER THE OBSTACLES PUT BEFORE IT, NO MATTER THE APPARENT DECAY IT IS IN PRESENT DAYS WHEN THE TECHNOLOGY ABSORBS AND ENSLAVES ALMOST COMPLETELY MAN´S SPIRIT.

THERE IS NO SHADOW OF DOUBT, THAT SOONER OR LATER THE POETRY AND PHILOSOPHY WILL BE APPRECIATED AGAIN WITH THE SAME STRENGTH AND SAME INTEREST OF OTHER TIMES BECAUSE WITHOUT POETRY AND PHILOSOPHY TRUTH CAN´T BE FOUND AND PROVED, AND MAN´S DESTINY, WILLING OR NO, IS TO FIND TRUTH AND WITH IT HAPPINESS.

EXERCISES:

1-      WAS DANTE BORN IN FLORENCE?

2-      HOW WAS HE CALLED?

3-      ACCORDING TO HIMSELF WHO LED HIM FROM HELL TO PURGATORY?

4-      AND FROM PURGATORY TO HEAVEN?

5-      WHAT CAN YOU SAY ABOUT DANTE´S CLOSING DAYS IN RAVENNA?

6-      WHERE WAS HE BURIED?

7-      WERE POETRY AND PHILOSOPHY TO DANTE THE SAME THING?

8-      WHAT ARE THE BEASTS THAT HINDER DANTE TO ASCEND THE HILL?

9-      WHO IS HE MET BY WHEN HE TURNS BACK?

10-  IS DANTE DISCOURAGED IN THE BEGINNING?

11-  HOW DOES VIRGIL MANAGE TO CHEER HIM UP?

12-  DOES DANTE CAST OFF FEAR?

13-  WHAT DO DANTE AND VIRGIL WATCH AFTER PASSING THROUGH THE GATE OF HELL?

14-  WHO IS VIRGIL GREETED BY?

15-  WHO ARE AMONG THEM?