The Divine Comedy

Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic is the greatest poem ever written—a journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise that defined how Western civilization imagines the afterlife. Lost in a dark wood, Dante is guided by the poet Virgil through the nine circles of Hell, where sinners suffer punishments that mirror their sins. He climbs Mount Purgatory where souls are cleansed, and finally ascends through the celestial spheres to behold the face of God. Along the way, Dante encounters popes and emperors, lovers and traitors, friends and enemies—creating a portrait of medieval Italy that is also a timeless meditation on sin, redemption, and divine love. A Raven's Gate Classics edition.