Few texts have been as influential as Dante Alighieri's epic poem "The Divine Comedy." For centuries, it has inspired a variety of artists and writers to imitate and pay homage. The idea is so simple and yet every new verse presents something immersive and full of thought-provoking commentary. With the first entry "Inferno," Dante finds himself traveling through hell in order to get to heaven. The story of needing to live through sin in order to become worthy of purity is a premise that plays out rather vividly throughout the text, presenting a narrative that may not have the most complicated of structure, but finds endless moments that stick with the reader. Rarely has a text been so alive with ideas and imagery that inspires the imagination. Every new ring of hell presents a conflict that ties into the human condition, forcing one to wonder not only who Alighieri's reference points are, but what this means for the individual reading. This is the start to one of the first undeniable trilogies, and one that is difficult to forget upon completion.
Dante starts with one of his most quoted lines: "Abandon faith, all ye who enter here." While wandering around in an unknown forest, he stumbles upon this path and with the help of Virgil is introduced to the rings of hell. As a writer with his own personal history with social figures of the time, he does plenty to make commentary on various figures throughout these various stops, finding the torturous landscape a study of the deadly sins. It's a commentary on the world he's lived in and how every figure has been seen by society. Who are the sinners who live among us? Maybe they're the writers or politicians, or people who have issues with gluttony and greed. It's the type of text that demands to have an encyclopedia alongside not for the language, but for the various figures who come and go over the course of events.
Even then, what makes this one of the most essential writings in history is how it manages to convey the journey. Every level is given its own chapter (sometimes multiple) and Alighieri's ability to create horrifying imagery is astounding. He's capable of making hell sound genuinely horrifying and makes the reader feel morbid about what lies ahead. Given that the story builds to an interaction with Satan, it makes sense that every new chapter has something crazier in store. Even then, this isn't just an exercise in graphic images that may twist the reader's stomach. This is about finding the humanity within it, reflecting an earth that is full of sinners and facing punishment for eternities. It's the type of helplessness that makes one wonder why anyone would want to sin in the first place. Even then, Dante has a tourist perspective that allows it to never feel too much in direct conflict with the protagonist.
Again, it's a fairly straightforward plot with a predictable conclusion. Dante will reach the end and find himself entering purgatory. However, this has often been considered the most popular chapter of "The Divine Comedy" because of how much detail is packed into those pages. Everything feels dangerous and compels the reader to explore the visual rendering of sinning. There's no sentiments to be found. It's a cruel text that requires a strong will of conscience. Not just anyone can get through. This is a creative exercise in how hard it is to live a virtuous life, and it's doubtful that Dante has. The only difference is that there's atonement along the path that finds him able to move ahead, to look at the misery and keep moving forward. It takes a special kind of man to travel to the deepest recesses of hell, and "Inferno" does so with brilliant force.
For those who love a great epic poem, "Inferno" is hard to top. Like the best of fiction, it has everything that makes for an immersive reading that inspires thoughts well beyond the page. It inspires art and even moral quandaries. Also, as a journey one is curious to know where Dante is going and why he's there in the first place. By the concluding pages, there is relief that the hardest part is over. This study of history and morality has come to an end for now. The only catch is that Alighieri has done the unthinkable and made two more books worthy of attention. Like the best of trilogies, Alighieri knows how to keep the reader invested, eager to jump straight into "Purgatorio." This is only the first stop on a longer journey. It seems crazy given how much insanity has just been witnessed, but for those wanting something breathtaking, there's going to be a little ways more before the grandest vision comes true. Now there's the most exciting part of "The Divine Comedy." It keeps moving forward without ever losing interest. The vision of the whole entire universe is upon the reader, and it's up to Alighieri to deliver something masterful.
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