Understanding Dante

"Dante and Shakespeare divide the modern world between them; there is no third". This study attempts to explain and justify T.S. Eliot's claim. John Scott offers a critical overview of Dante's writings: the "Vita Nova", the "Convivio", the "De Vulgari Eloquentia", his "Rime", and "Monarchia",

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Firmly grounded in the latest advances of Dante scholarship, Understanding Dante offers an original and uniquely detailed, global analysis of Dante as poet of the Comedy that will be welcomed by those who read the poem in translation as well as by those who study the original Italian text. At the same time, Scott’s book will be welcome for its rich and insightful analysis of the whole corpus of Dante’s writings, as well as Scott’s mastery of the vast sea of critical literature in various languages. Scott bridges the gap that often exists between Dante studies in English-speaking countries and the great tradition of Dante scholarship in the poet’s homeland. No work in English about the great Italian poet can rival Understanding Dante’s scope in both depth and breadth of close reading and critical vision.