The Harvard Classics, vol. 20: The Divine Comedy by Dante

by Dante; Charles William Eliot

Publisher:

P. F. Collier & Son

, 1909

Overview

Dante’s The Divine Comedy is one of the greatest works of world literature—a vivid journey through hell, up the mountain of purgatory, and through the revolving heavens into the presence of God. This epic poem is a masterful allegory, portraying a human soul painfully struggling from sin through purification to the Beatific Vision using the symbolism of the stages and experiences of this journey.

The Harvard Classics

Journey through “Dr. Eliot’s Five Foot Shelf.” This massive collection, designed to provide the elements of a liberal education, was compiled by distinguished Harvard University president Charles Eliot in the early 1900s. Packed with the essential works of the Western classical tradition, the Harvard Classics collection remains one of the most comprehensive and well-researched anthologies of all time—a must-have library for students and lovers of the classics.

Contents

• The Divine Comedy, by Dante Alighieri

Top Highlights

“the great mystery; the Trinity, and the Union of Man with God.” (Page 424)

“The ‘Divine Comedy’ was entitled by Dante himself merely ‘Commedia,’ meaning a poetic composition in a style intermediate between the sustained nobility of tragedy, and the popular tone of elegy.’ The word had no dramatic implication at that time, though it did involve a happy ending. The poem is the narrative of a journey down through Hell, up the mountain of Purgatory, and through the revolving heavens into the presence of God.” (Page 4)

“carnal sinners, who are tossed about ceaselessly in the dark air by the most furious winds. Among” (Page 21)

“heretics are punished in tombs burning with intense fire;” (Page 37)

Product Details

• Title: The Harvard Classics, vol. 20: The Divine Comedy by Dante
• Author: Dante Alighieri
• Editor: Charles William Eliot
• Series: The Harvard Classics
• Publisher: P. F. Collier & Son
• Pages: 432

About Charles William Eliot

Charles William Eliot (1834–1926) served as president of Harvard University for 40 years, helping to shape the struggling provincial college into a premier American research university. Eliot graduated from Harvard in 1853, and was appointed tutor in mathematics in 1854, before becoming assistant professor of mathematics and chemistry. Eliot left Harvard in 1863 and traveled in Europe for nearly two years, studying the educational systems of the Old World. He took an interest in every aspect of institutional operation, from curriculum and methods of instruction, to physical arrangements and custodial services. But his particular concern was with the relation between education and economic growth.

Returning home in 1865, Eliot accepted an appointment as professor of analytical chemistry at the newly-founded Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1869, he published a two-part article with his ideas about reforming American higher education in The Atlantic Monthly, catching the attention of Harvard businessmen trying to pull the university out of a crisis of short-term presidents and languishing curriculum. Eliot was quickly elected as the youngest president in Harvard’s history. Under his leadership, Harvard began to expand the range of courses offered, permitting undergraduates with unrestricted choice in selecting their courses of study. This enabled them to discover their “natural bents” and pursue them into specialized studies. The university soon became a center for advanced scientific and technological research. During his presidency, the university extended its facilities with laboratories, libraries, classrooms, and athletic facilities. Eliot was able to attract the support of major donors from among the nation’s growing plutocracy, making it the wealthiest private university in the world.