The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri: Volume 1: Inferno (Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri Reprint Series)

this New Translation Presents The Italian Text Of The inferno , And, On Facing Pages, Robert Durling's New Prose Translation, Which Brings A New Power And Accuracy To The Rendering Of Dantes Extraordinary Vision Of Hell, With All Its Terror, Pathos, And Sardonic Humor, And Its Penetrating Analyses Of The Psychology Of Sin And The Ills That Plague Society. Readers Will Prize The Directness And Clarity, The Rich Expressiveness, And The Rigorous Accuracy Of This Contemporary Prose Translation, Which Preserves To An Unparalleled Degree The Order And Emphases Of Dante's Syntax, Unhampered By Any Constraints Of Meter Or Rhyme. The Italian Text Has Been Newly Edited With A View To The Needs Of American And English Readers. Martinez' And Durling's Introduction And Notes Are Designed With The First-time Reader Of The Poem In Mind, But Will Be Useful To Others As Well. The Concise Introduction Presents Essential Biographical And Historical Background And A Discussion Of The Form Of The Poem. The Notes Are More Extensive Than Those In Most Translations Currently Available, And They Contain Much New Material. In Addition, Sixteen Short Essays Explore The Autobiographical Dimension Of The Poem, The Problematic Body Analogy, The Question Of Christ's Presence In Hell, And Individual Cantos That Have Been The Subject Of Controversy, Including Those On Homosexuality. There Is An Extensive Bibliography, And The Indexes (to Foreign Words, Passages Cited, Proper Names In The Notes, And Proper Names In The Text) Will Make The Volume Particularly Useful. Robert Turner's Illustrations Include Detailed Maps Of Italy, Clearly Labeled Diagrams Of The Cosmos And Of The Structure Of Hell, And Line Drawings Of Objects And Places Mentioned In The Poem. This first volume of Robert Durling's new translation of The Divine Comedy brings a new power and accuracy to the rendering of Dante's extraordinary vision of Hell, with all its terror, pathos, and humor. Remarkably true to both the letter and spirit of this central work of Western literature, Durling's is a prose translation (the first to appear in twenty-five years), and is thus free of the exigencies of meter and rhyme that hamper recent verse translations. As Durling notes,'the closely literal style is a conscious effort to convey in part the nature of Dante's Italian, notoriously craggy and difficult even for Italians.'Rigorously accurate as to meaning, it is both clear and supple, while preserving to an unparalleled degree the order and emphases of Dante's complex syntax. The Durling-Martinez Inferno is also user-friendly. The Italian text, newly edited, is printed on each verso page; the English mirrors it in such a way that readers can easily find themselves in relation to the original terza rima. Designed with the first-time reader of Dante in mind, the volume includes comprehensive notes and textual commentary by Martinez and Durling: both are life-long students of Dante and other medieval writers (their Purgatorio and Paradiso will appear next year). Their introduction is a small masterpiece of its kind in presenting lucidly and concisely the historical and conceptual background of the poem. Sixteen short essays are provided that offer new inquiry into such topics as the autobiographical nature of the poem, Dante's views on homosexuality, and the recurrent, problematic body analogy (Hell has a structure parallel to that of the human body). The extensive notes, containing much new material, explain the historical, literary, and doctrinal references, present what is known about the damned souls Dante meets --from the lovers who spend eternity in the whirlwind of their passion, to Count Ugolino, who perpetually gnaws at his enemy's skull--disentangle the vexed party politics of Guelfs and Ghibellines, illuminate difficult and disputed passages, and shed light on some of Dante's unresolved conflicts. Robert Turner's illustrations include detailed maps of Italy and several of its regions, clearly labeled diagrams of the cosmos and the structure of Hell, and eight line drawings illustrating objects and places mentioned in the poem. With its exceptionally high standard of typography and design, the Durling-Martinez Inferno offers readers a solid cornerstone for any home library. It will set the standard for years to come. This first volume of this new Divine Comedy presents the Italian text of the Inferno and, on facing pages, a new prose translation (the first in twenty-five years). The editor's translation brings a new power and accuracy to the rendering of Dante's extraordinary vision of Hell, with all its terror, pathos, and sardonic humor, and its penetrating analyses of the psychology of sin and the ills that plague society. The introduction and notes are designed with the first-time reader of the poem in mind but will be useful to others as well. The concise introduction presents essential biographical and historical background and a discussion of the form of the poem. The notes are more extensive than those in most translations currently available, and they contain much new material. In addition, sixteen short essays explore the autobiographical dimension of the poem, the problematic body analogy, the question of Christ's presence in Hell, and individual cantos that have been the subject of controversy, including those on homosexuality. There is an extensive bibliography, and the four indexes (to foreign words, passages cited, proper names in the notes, and to proper names in the text and translation). Illustrations include detailed maps of Italy, clearly labeled diagrams of the cosmos and of the structure of Hell, and line drawings illustrating objects and places mentioned in the poem This is the first volume of a new prose translation of Dante's epic - the first in twenty-five years. Robert Durling's translation brings a new power and accuracy to the rendering of Dante's extraordinary vision of Hell. A newly edited version of the Italian text can be found on facing pages, and this edition includes fully comprehensive notes as well as sixteen essays on special subjects. This is a new prose translation of Dante's epic. A newly edited version of the Italian text will be on facing pages. This edition includes fully comprehensive notes with the latest in contemporary scholarship as well as 16 short essays on special subjects at the end of the book. Dante, after becoming lost on the path of life, is led by Virgil into Hell to begin his journey back to the light of God. IN the middle of the journey of our life I came to myself within a dark wood where the straight way was lost. In the middle of the journey of our life, I came to myself in a dark wood, for the straight way was lost. 200......Page 2 300......Page 218 404......Page 318 601......Page 422 scan0001......Page 617