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Which major works did Dante Alighieri write during exile?
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Dante
Italian poet Dante Alighieri, oil on panel by an unknown artist, c. 1550; in the Yale University Art Gallery
Dante Alighieriās exile from Florence in 1302 served as a catalyst for his most ambitious and significant literary contributions. During this period, he produced several major works that explored complex moral, political, and linguistic themes:
- The Divine Comedy (c. 1308ā1321): An epic poem and the masterpiece of medieval literature, it chronicles an allegorical journey through hell, purgatory, and paradise.123
- The Banquet (Il convivio; c. 1304ā1307): An unfinished work that serves as a compendium of instruction and a defense of the Italian vernacular.43
- Concerning Vernacular Eloquence (De vulgari eloquentia; c. 1304ā1307): A theoretical treatise written in Latin that defines and advocates for the use of an elevated Italian literary language.43
- On Monarchy (De monarchia; c. 1313): A significant political tract in which Dante argues for the separation of papal and imperial powers, asserting that both are necessary for human happiness.243