-
Dante Alighieri was born in Florence, Italy
-
Consisting of three endecasillabial verses,it is called a "chain rhyme" because it consists of cross rhymes. The scheme is this: ABA, BCB, CDC, DED, etc. and Dante was the first to use it. A classic example of the famous intro of Hell demonstrates its beauty and simplicity In the middle of the journey of our lives(A)
I found myself in a dark forest(B)
Because the straight way was lost(A) Alas what it was hard (B)
Wild and rugged and strong forest(C)
That in the pensire renews fear(B) -
Much of Dante's work is devoted to the figure of Beatrice, met at the age of nine and died young, after marrying another man. It's all very romantic, isn't it? However, the good Dante had a wife and four children, who were probably not very happy with this unrequited love. Dante married Gemma Dontai at a young age, but there are no direct and explicit allusions to his wife or to one of his children: Jacopo, Peter, Giovanni and Antonia