Begun about 1307 and completed in 1321, Dante's sublime poetic masterpiece, <I>The Divine Comedy,</I> is one of the world's great works of literature. It comprises an extraordinarily vivid and imaginative account of the poet's allegorical journey through the afterlife. Complementing its depiction of the world beyond, the poem's abundant allusions to earthly history and politics, vivid portrayals of Dante's friends and enemies, and many references to...
