Dante – HW for 3/15-18

Monday (3/15) First class: Course overview and expectations. Why read Dante? What can we learn from reading Dante? Where can we find Dante in the modern world?

HW: Reader Response #1: What is your vision of the afterlife?  You may answer the question in words, images, or a combination of both.  Be creative and brave in your answer.  Due Tuesday, 2 pages, typed. Please come to class with required materials.

Tuesday (3/16) Reader Response #1 due. Share responses.  Introduction to Dante and the Commedia: biography, Florence, exile, poet vs. pilgrim, political/social commentary, terza rima, Virgil and other reference texts.

HW: Read and annotate “Catechism of the Divine Comedy” by Joseph Gallagher (handout).  What questions do you have about Dante, the man and the poet?

Wednesday (3/17) Discuss “Catechism” reading and FAQ’s.  Show online Dante resources, Digital Dante study guide and image gallery, Dante Worlds, map of Hell, etc.  If time allows, begin reading Inferno, Canto 1 together in class.

HW: (1) Bookmark Digital Dante and Dante Worlds on your computer and begin to explore. (2) Find at least one reference to Dante or his subject matter (hell, heaven, devil, sin, etc.) in contemporary popular culture (music, art, literature, film).  Be prepared to show-and-tell in class on Monday, April 5 after break.

Recommended reading: A Modern Reader’s Guide to Dante’s The Divine Comedy by Joseph Gallagher.  ISBN: 0-7648-0494-4.  This is a great resource with canto summaries and good, brief analysis of major allusions and references.  I highly recommend it!