100 must-read books for college students

Chapter 29: A Great Psalm Inheriting the Past and Inheriting the Future

Chapter 28 The Great Psalm of the Past and the Future: "The Divine Comedy"

When Dante is mentioned, people almost always think of Engels' praise and evaluation of him: "The end of the feudal Middle Ages and the end of modern capitalism
The beginning of the era of capitalism is marked by a great man.This great man is the Italian Dante, he is the
The last poet of the world and the first poet of the new era. "And "Divine Comedy" is the work of this "big man".
masterpiece.

In the history of European literature, Dante is a great poet as famous as Homer, Shakespeare, Goethe, etc.

one of the milestones.

Forced into exile to compose The Divine Comedy

Dante Arrigelli (1265-1321) was an Italian poet in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.He was the most important figure in medieval Europe

Writers, at the same time, are symbols of the transition from medieval literature to modern literature, and occupy a special position in the history of European literature.

Dante began to write poetry in his youth, and he belonged to the "soft new poetry" school.His love life had an important influence on his creative work.

The Nativity is the most important literary creation of Dante's period

.

Dante also actively participated in the political activities of the city-state in his youth. In 1300, he was elected as a representative of the Medical Guild

state administrator. In 1302, the black faction won with the support of the pope, seized power, and persecuted the white faction at the same time.Dante

He was also expelled from the city-state on trumped-up charges, and began his nearly 20-year life in exile.politics makes dante more
focus on reality.In exile, he traveled all over northern Italy.The great mountains and rivers of the motherland inspired his patriotic enthusiasm.

He witnessed the fact that Italy was divided, wars were frequent, and the people were in dire straits, which made him deeply aware of the war between city-states.
The dangers of chaos to Italian progress.In this way, he gradually overcame the previous narrow city-state standpoint and realized that only unity and peace
Peace is the hope of Italy, which has reached a higher level in thought.

但丁在流亡期间写过3部著作，分别是《飨宴》(1304～1307)、《论俗话》(1304～1305)、

"Emperor System" (1310~1312).

Around 1307, when Dante was at the height of his agony in exile, he began writing the Divine Comedy.This is his long-term brewing
A great work of thought and conception. After 1313, he accepted the invitation of Prince Scala and Count Polenta, successively in Verona and

Living in Ravenna, life is a little more stable.So, Dante concentrated on writing "Divine Comedy", until shortly before his death, this work
The product was completed, and the creation process lasted more than 10 years.

hallucinations divine comedy

The Italian original meaning of "Divine Comedy" is "divine comedy".Dante originally only named his work "Comedy".
In order to show respect for it, the word "sacred" is used, and the Chinese free translation is "Divine Comedy".

The whole poem of "Divine Comedy" has 14233 lines. The poem uses the form of medieval fantasy stories, and describes the author's experience in three different fantasy worlds in autonarrative style.
travel experience.The whole poem is divided into three parts: hell, purgatory (also translated as the pure world), and heaven, each with 3 songs, plus the prelude, a total of 33 songs, counting 100
More than 4 lines.

The long poem adopts the form of phantasmagoria unique to medieval literature, and describes Dante in the "halfway of life", that is, at the age of 35, in a forest.
He lost his way and was about to walk to a bright hill when suddenly three beasts appeared in front of him—a leopard, a lion and a wolf (
Symbol of lust, rape and greed), the poet panicked and called for help.At this time, Virgil, the great poet of ancient Rome, appeared.

According to the order of Saint Beatrice, Dante was rescued from another road out of desperation.This leads to the content of the Psalms.

Dante traveled through hell and purgatory under the leadership of Virgil.In Dante's imagination, there are nine layers of hell, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom.

Shaped like a big funnel, it goes deep into the center of the earth.All souls who have sinned during their lifetime will be punished in hell, according to the severity of their sins
Arranged in different levels.Dante descended layer by layer in this eerie and miserable hell, and saw all kinds of tortured people.
soul.From the second floor to the fifth floor is the so-called "upper hell", where those who have committed the crimes of lust, gluttony, greed, irritability, etc.

The soul is tortured here.After the sixth floor is the "lower hell".The eighth floor is divided into ten faults, where many former evildoers are imprisoned.
, Harm the souls of the people, all corrupt officials, those who buy and sell clergy, divination deceivers, flatterers, hypocrites and so on.No.
The ninth floor is a frozen lake, where Dante hated the most traitors and traitors, who were frozen in the ice.The bottom of hell is Judah,

Here the three greatest rebels, including Judas, are torn and chewed by the Lord of Hell.

The exit of hell is in the northern hemisphere of the earth. Virgil led Dante out of hell and came to purgatory.This is a mountain floating on the sea

, there is a beach outside the mountain, and on the top is the paradise on earth. Purgatory itself is divided into seven levels.
The souls of the seven sins of pride, jealousy, anger, laziness, greed, food, and sex.These souls have lesser sins and can be forgiven,

They repent here, and once they get rid of their evil roots, they can ascend to heaven.When Dante entered the gate of Purgatory, there was an angel on his forehead
There are seven "P" characters engraved on it (representing the seven sins of human beings), and each time a level is raised, a P word is erased, which symbolizes the continuous washing of self.

own sins.He followed Virgil up layer by layer, and finally came to the paradise on earth, when Virgil suddenly disappeared.in auspicious cloud flower rain
Among them, Beatrice appeared.She succeeded Virgil and led the poet to travel through heaven, through the days of the moon, Mercury, Venus,

The sun sky, Mars sky, Jupiter sky, Saturn sky, crystal sky, a total of nine layers.Those who did good in life will enjoy peace and happiness here after death

.Finally, Dante arrives in Tianfu.This is the dwelling place of God and angels.At this time, Beatrice returns to the happy rose
Among them, St. Bella guides Dante to see the body of God, only to see a flash of lightning, and the whole poem ends here.

Throughout the "Divine Comedy", it is extremely rigorous and complete.The verses and materials in the poem are often grouped according to the number concepts of 3, 9, and 10
Weave together to form a magnificent building.The whole poem is divided into 3 parts, each part is divided into 33 songs, a total of 99 songs, plus
Prelude, composed of 100 songs, the total number of lines in each part is roughly equal (4720 lines in "Hell", 4755 lines in "Purgatory",
"Paradise" line 4758).The author also made ingenious arrangements for the internal structure of these three parts.Hell is divided into 3 floors, purgatory

内外共有9级，天堂是9重，最后又加上天府合成“10”这一个整数。在中世纪，3、9、10这

Some digital concepts can cause special associations in people's minds, and have mysterious and symbolic meanings. For example, "3" can represent

Theological "Trinity", "10" represents perfection. The structure of the "Divine Comedy" is undoubtedly closely related to religious thought.
This is one of the characteristics of medieval literature.

The conception and description of "Divine Comedy" also adopted the popular techniques of medieval literature, that is, the form, symbol and meaning of dream stories

method.The whole work is a symbol, implying the road for human beings to move from the suffering and bewildered reality to the ideal state.whole poem

Each of the three parts ends with the word "star", which symbolizes that the light must shine on the world.

Dante eulogized the meaning of life in the world and affirmed the value of life in the world. He believed that people have talents and wisdom, and have their own free will.
And reason, which is God's "greatest masterpiece".Therefore, people should be active in real life, pursue knowledge, pursue
Love, the pursuit of virtue, makes life meaningful.

In the "Divine Comedy", Dante made the most ruthless attack on the pope and monks, and put them in the lower level of hell, where they were tortured.
Moreover, he whipped them with his own hands, and even sent Pope Boniface VIII, who was still alive at the time, to the bottom of hell to suffer.but
For the first time in history, Ding expressed new thoughts and ideas with the characteristics of the new era through his own narrative or through conversations with ghosts.

new worldview. For the first time, "Divine Comedy" clearly expresses the new thought of humanism.it cares about human destiny
, Promote the liberation of individuality, praise the power of knowledge, and praise people's talents and wisdom.

Overture of the Renaissance shines through the annals of history

The insights in "Divine Comedy", shining with the brilliance of humanist thought, are deafening and have had a huge impact.Dante is here

The book made it clear that it would be "immortal" through this work. For more than 600 years, "Divine Comedy" has served as the basis for medieval theology, philosophy

As a prelude to the new culture of the Renaissance, it is indeed a collection of scientific and scientific ideas that are glorious in history, and Dante is thus
And became recognized as a great pioneer of the Renaissance movement.

The author expresses the spirit of pursuing truth and the enthusiasm of caring for the destiny of mankind through his works.It deeply reflects the Italian
Political and social conditions, vividly exposing the corruption of the church and the brutality and arbitrariness of the rulers in the Middle Ages, it is for the first time clearly

It embodies the new thought of humanism.The works are cleverly conceived, rich in imagination, and the characters are lifelike.

The conception and content of "Divine Comedy" are dominated by Christian viewpoints, and the poem contains a lot of theological and tedious philosophical knowledge, which is difficult to understand.
Symbols and metaphors of interpretation, very mysterious.This is its characteristic as a medieval literary work.But The Divine Comedy does not
It is not a religious literary work. In many aspects, there are contradictions between old and new ideas, and it has duality.

This kind of ideological contradiction is the distinctive feature of "Divine Comedy" as a product of the transitional period.as the end of the Middle Ages and
The beginning of a new era, the great value of "Divine Comedy" is that it is the first in medieval literature with rich images and broad paintings.
On the one hand, it reflects the reality of Italy in this transitional period, and shows the germination of humanism.Therefore it becomes the
It is an epoch-making masterpiece in the history of European literature.

"Divine Comedy" also embodies duality in its artistic method. It not only has the general characteristics of medieval literature, but also shows the characteristics of modern literature.

Some characteristics of the new artistic method learned.

What deserves our attention is that certain new ideas and buds of new literary concepts are shown in the works.renaissance realism
The germ of the method.The future worlds of hell, purgatory, and heaven described by the poet are not illusory and elusive illusions.

Think, but a clearly visible, three-dimensional world, the reason is that the writer is not completely fabricated, in which

Most of the materials come from real life.It is all kinds of imaginary tortures in hell, and its ideas also come from the real life of the church and feudal

The ruler's common means of governance.

The authenticity of the poem is also due to the artistic image written by Dante with flesh and blood.Also pay great attention to the rendering of the environment and the baking of the atmosphere.

Toh, make the fictional world real and concrete.

Poets are good at using vivid and appropriate metaphors when they write characters, which also helps the works to produce real and moving power.These are better than
Some of the metaphors of metaphors come from nature, while most of them come from social life.With these familiar things as metaphors,

The images written in the poems become vivid, friendly, and full of life.

Another point should be paid special attention: "The Divine Comedy" uses the Italian national language and learns the Italian folk song form.
.In the Middle Ages, Latin was orthodox, and all literary works were written in Latin.Dante was the first to write in the Italian national language
.In his works, he also adopted the "three-rhyme" rhythm popular in Italian folk songs.This makes "Divine Comedy" more national

Colors also better reflect real life.

(End of this chapter)