Divine Comedy

The Divine Comedy

Alighieri, Dante (Translator: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

Published: 1306 Categorie(s): Fiction, Poetry Source: http://en.wikisource.org

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About Alighieri: Durante degli Alighieri, better known as Dante Alighieri or simply Dante, (May 14/June 13, 1265 – September 13/14, 1321) was an Italian poet from Florence. His central work, the Commedia (The Divine Comedy), is considered the greatest literary work composed in the Italian language and a masterpiece of world literature. He was the first Italian to have his works published. Source: Wikipedia Also available on Feedbooks for Alighieri: • The Epistle to Can Grande (1319) Note: This book is brought to you by Feedbooks http://www.feedbooks.com Strictly for personal use, do not use this file for commercial purposes.

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Part 1 Inferno

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Chapter

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The Dark Forest. The Hill of Difficulty. The Panther, the Lion, and the Wolf. Virgil.

Midway upon the journey of our life I found myself within a forest dark, For the straight-forward pathway had been lost. Ah me! how hard a thing it is to say What was this forest savage, rough, and stern, Which in the very thought renews the fear. So bitter is it, death is little more; But of the good to treat, which there I found, Speak will I of the other things I saw there. I cannot well repeat how there I entered, So full was I of slumber at the moment In which I had abandoned the true way. But after I had reached a mountain's foot, At that point where the valley terminated, Which had with consternation pierced my heart, Upward I looked, and I beheld its shoulders, Vested already with that planet's rays Which leadeth others right by every road. Then was the fear a little quieted That in my heart's lake had endured throughout The night, which I had passed so piteously. And even as he, who, with distressful breath, Forth issued from the sea upon the shore, Turns to the water perilous and gazes; So did my soul, that still was fleeing onward,...