An authoritative and comprehensive intellectual biography of the author of the Divine ComedyFor all that has been written about the author of the Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) remains the best guide to his own life and work. Dante's...
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An authoritative and comprehensive intellectual biography of the author of the Divine ComedyFor all that has been written about the author of the Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) remains the best guide to his own life and work. Dante's writings are therefore never far away in this authoritative and comprehensive intellectual biography, which offers a fresh account of the medieval Florentine poet's life and thought before and after his exile in 1302.Beginning with the often violent circumstances of Dante's life, the book examines his successive works as testimony to the course of his passionate humanity: his lyric poetry through to the Vita nova as the great work of his first period; the Convivio, De vulgari eloquentia and the poems of his early years in exile; and the Monarchia and the Commedia as the product of his maturity. Describing as it does a journey of the mind, the book confirms the nature of Dante's undertaking as an exploration of what he himself speaks of as "maturity in the flame of love."The result is an original synthesis of Dante's life and work Frontmatter -- Contents -- Abbreviations -- Acknowledgements -- Preface: In fondo, una serietà terribile -- Part I. PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS -- Chapter 1. Historical Considerations -- Chapter 2. Biographical Considerations -- Part II. THE EARLY YEARS: From Dante da Maiano to the Vita nova -- Chapter 1. Preliminary Remarks: Love and Love- Intelligence -- Chapter 2. Literary Hinterland: From Provençal to the stilo de la loda -- Chapter 3. Literary Apprenticeship and a Coming of Age -- Chapter 4. The Vita nova -- Part III. THE MIDDLE YEARS: The Moral and Allegorical Rime, the Convivio, the De vulgari eloquentia and the Post-Exilic Rime -- Chapter 1. Compassionate Lady of the Casement and a Woman of Stone: The Pre-Exilic Rime -- Chapter 2. The Convivio -- Chapter 3. The De vulgari eloquentia: Language, Literature and the Ontologization of Art -- Chapter 4. The Post- Exilic Rime -- Part IV. THE FINAL YEARS The Commedia, the Political Letters and the Monarchia, the Questio, Cangrande and the Eclogues -- Chapter 1. The Commedia -- Chapter 2. The Monarchia and the Political Letters -- Chapter 3. The Questio de situ aque et terre, the Letter to Cangrande della Scala and the Eclogues -- Afterword. A Coruscation of Delight -- Select Bibliography -- Index of names
Frontmatter -- CONTENTS -- INTRODUCTION -- Laelius de Amicitia / How to Be a Friend -- Notes -- Further Reading A splendid new translation of one of the greatest books on friendship ever writtenIn a world where social media, online relationships, and...
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Frontmatter -- CONTENTS -- INTRODUCTION -- Laelius de Amicitia / How to Be a Friend -- Notes -- Further Reading A splendid new translation of one of the greatest books on friendship ever writtenIn a world where social media, online relationships, and relentless self-absorption threaten the very idea of deep and lasting friendships, the search for true friends is more important than ever. In this short book, which is one of the greatest ever written on the subject, the famous Roman politician and philosopher Cicero offers a compelling guide to finding, keeping, and appreciating friends. With wit and wisdom, Cicero shows us not only how to build friendships but also why they must be a key part of our lives. For, as Cicero says, life without friends is not worth living.Filled with timeless advice and insights, Cicero's heartfelt and moving classic-written in 44 BC and originally titled De Amicitia-has inspired readers for more than two thousand years, from St. Augustine and Dante to Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. Presented here in a lively new translation with the original Latin on facing pages and an inviting introduction, How to Be a Friend explores how to choose the right friends, how to avoid the pitfalls of friendship, and how to live with friends in good times and bad. Cicero also praises what he sees as the deepest kind of friendship-one in which two people find in each other "another self" or a kindred soul.An honest and eloquent guide to finding and treasuring true friends, How to Be a Friend speaks as powerfully today as when it was first written
An authoritative and comprehensive intellectual biography of the author of the Divine ComedyFor all that has been written about the author of the Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) remains the best guide to his own life and work. Dante's...
mehr
An authoritative and comprehensive intellectual biography of the author of the Divine ComedyFor all that has been written about the author of the Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) remains the best guide to his own life and work. Dante's writings are therefore never far away in this authoritative and comprehensive intellectual biography, which offers a fresh account of the medieval Florentine poet's life and thought before and after his exile in 1302.Beginning with the often violent circumstances of Dante's life, the book examines his successive works as testimony to the course of his passionate humanity: his lyric poetry through to the Vita nova as the great work of his first period; the Convivio, De vulgari eloquentia and the poems of his early years in exile; and the Monarchia and the Commedia as the product of his maturity. Describing as it does a journey of the mind, the book confirms the nature of Dante's undertaking as an exploration of what he himself speaks of as "maturity in the flame of love."The result is an original synthesis of Dante's life and work Frontmatter -- Contents -- Abbreviations -- Acknowledgements -- Preface: In fondo, una serietà terribile -- Part I. PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS -- Chapter 1. Historical Considerations -- Chapter 2. Biographical Considerations -- Part II. THE EARLY YEARS: From Dante da Maiano to the Vita nova -- Chapter 1. Preliminary Remarks: Love and Love- Intelligence -- Chapter 2. Literary Hinterland: From Provençal to the stilo de la loda -- Chapter 3. Literary Apprenticeship and a Coming of Age -- Chapter 4. The Vita nova -- Part III. THE MIDDLE YEARS: The Moral and Allegorical Rime, the Convivio, the De vulgari eloquentia and the Post-Exilic Rime -- Chapter 1. Compassionate Lady of the Casement and a Woman of Stone: The Pre-Exilic Rime -- Chapter 2. The Convivio -- Chapter 3. The De vulgari eloquentia: Language, Literature and the Ontologization of Art -- Chapter 4. The Post- Exilic Rime -- Part IV. THE FINAL YEARS The Commedia, the Political Letters and the Monarchia, the Questio, Cangrande and the Eclogues -- Chapter 1. The Commedia -- Chapter 2. The Monarchia and the Political Letters -- Chapter 3. The Questio de situ aque et terre, the Letter to Cangrande della Scala and the Eclogues -- Afterword. A Coruscation of Delight -- Select Bibliography -- Index of names