Skip main navigation

Dante’s Languages: The 'Comedy'

Dante’s Languages: The 'Comedy'

Do you know why Dante’s poem stands as one of the most significant works in world literature?

It’s thanks to the richness of the contemplated themes and the varied stylistic registers we can find in it. In fact, to describe Dante’s voyage through the complex setting he created, Dante needs a language able to express what has never been said before. For this reason, he draws both words from Latin (the Latin used in classical literature, and also the language of philosophical and scientific texts) and creates neologisms; making his Comedy a mosaic of forms and languages.

This article is from the free online

Tracing the History of the Italian Language: From Dante to the Present Day

Created by
FutureLearn - Learning For Life

Reach your personal and professional goals

Unlock access to hundreds of expert online courses and degrees from top universities and educators to gain accredited qualifications and professional CV-building certificates.

Join over 18 million learners to launch, switch or build upon your career, all at your own pace, across a wide range of topic areas.

Start Learning now