Dante Alighieri is greatly known for his epic poem called the “Divine Comedy”, or in Italian simply called “Commedia”. This poem tells of the journey that Dante takes through three places: hell (Inferno), purgatory (Purgatorio) and heaven (Paradiso). After reading Canto I, III, V, XXXIV of the Inferno, I see what Dante Alighieri felt as if he was going through. Dante writes this poem through the eyes of a Christian to tell us how he envisions hell. As Dante travels through the different levels of hell, he is guided by the Roman poet, Virgil. The different levels of hell are determined by the different sins the person commits. (Enter Sins) Dante sees the devil and is very descriptive about his appearance. The Devil is in the innermost level of hell. Although everything is hot around him, the devil is pure ice. Dante sees that the devil has three faces on one body, and out of each mouth is hanging a man. These three men, Judas Iscariot, Brutus, and Cassius, committed the worst sin of all, betrayal.
     I cannot say that I enjoyed reading “The Inferno” very much. I found it very depressing and just a grim outlook on what humans will go through. I will say that it was interesting to see what another human believes we will endure after we die. My favorite part of the cantos that we read was when Dante described who was on each level of hell. Each sin had a different level of hell. These were described so well that you almost felt like you were there watching what these souls had to endure. My least favorite part of what I read was when Dante described the devil. He made the picture of the devil in my mind so gruesome that I stopped right there and prayed to God that I wouldn’t go to hell. Although he did a good job is describing the devil, it sounded almost too real. I would like to read the whole poem to see what else happens to Dante. He goes through Purgatory and then to Heaven, and I am anxious to see what happens to him in these places. I’m sure Dante does a good job at describing these other places, and how they affect his life.
     I would recommend this epic poem only to people who enjoy reading this type of story. If you like to read stories about the future, and how other people envision them, then you would like this story. Dante has many other works, so you are bound to find one that you enjoy.
 

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