The Divine Comedy, by Dante Alighieri – translated by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, read by various volunteers
Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy (1308–1321) is one of the greatest masterpieces of world literature, bridging the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Written in the Tuscan dialect that later became standard Italian, the poem offers a sweeping vision of the afterlife while reflecting profound theological, philosophical, and moral themes.
The work is divided into three parts—Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio (Purgatory), and Paradiso (Paradise)—with one hundred cantos in total. In this epic journey, narrated in the first person, Dante travels through realms of the dead during Easter of the year 1300. Guided first by the Roman poet Virgil and later by Beatrice, he confronts sin, purification, and ultimate salvation.
At once allegory, spiritual vision, and literary triumph, The Divine Comedy remains a cornerstone of Western thought and poetic tradition.
