Dante & Milton

[cassman]

Have any of you all read any of Dante’s poems (Inferno etc.)?

What about Pradise Lost and Paradise Regained by John Milton?

Are they worth reading?

 

[TeAmo]

I’ve read Milton-definetly well-worth reading.

 

[Grayton]

The great Catholic writer Dorothy Sayers did a translation of Dante’s great poem with very helpful footnores. I would recommend this translation for a first reading. It is available in a three-volume Penguin paperback edition.

 

[WanderAimlessly]

I have read the Mark Musa translation of Dante (also Penguin Classics).

I do not know about the footnotes, but many of the sketches in the books are the same as the Sayer’s translation.

The only reason I bought the Musa transaltion was because it has a higher rating on Amazon.

As for Milton, thanks for the idea of reading material.

PF

 

[AmandaPS]

I’ve read Dante’s Inferno and Purgutorio (didn’t get to Heaven yet) as well as Milton’s Paradise Lost (but not Regained). I recommend them both as good reading. Just keep in mind that Milton was writing from a Puritan point of view.

 

[Forgiven]

I have read all of John Milton’s works, and the finest is *Paradise Lost. *If you decide to read it, it is best to buy an annotated edition complete with all footnotes, because it is not simple reading, by any means. It is brilliant, however!

 

[raphaela]

I’ve read dante’s inferno and it is awesome!!! Though through the whole thing i found myself wondering why it was a comedy, until i got to the last chapter…then i got it, and it is pretty funny!!

I have a copy that is both english and italian translation…I got that one to try to bring back some of my italian…it didn’t work, I guess I was too young, but I highly recommend the translation. Its done by Robert Pinsky.

 

[AmandaPS]

raphaela:

I’ve read dante’s inferno and it is awesome!!! Though through the whole thing i found myself wondering why it was a comedy, until i got to the last chapter…then i got it, and it is pretty funny!!

I have a copy that is both english and italian translation…I got that one to try to bring back some of my italian…it didn’t work, I guess I was too young, but I highly recommend the translation. Its done by Robert Pinsky.

It’s not called the Divine Comedy because of it’s funnyness. During the time it was written, a Tragedy was a life story with a sad ending, such as the Tragedy of MacBeth or the Tragedy of Hamlet. A Comedy was a life story with a happy, not necessarily funny ending. Today’s definition of comedy is what they would’ve called a farce.