Reading Dante: A Guide to Getting Started
Practical tips for approaching The Divine Comedy, from reading summaries to annotating the text.
Our SCCS community has begun its journey through 100 Days of Dante! Students, faculty, and parents are reading Dante's Divine Comedy together, with conversations continuing through The Voyager Voice podcast and our new weekly parent book club.
If you'd like to read along, you can follow the 100 Days of Dante reading plan at your own pace.
But if you've been curious about joining and feel a little intimidated by the reading, you're not alone. Dante's Divine Comedy is a remarkable work, but it isn't always an easy one. Filled with historical figures, classical mythology, biblical references, and medieval ideas, it's a text that rewards careful reading and thoughtful discussion.
The good news? You don't need to understand everything to begin. And there are some simple strategies that can make a challenging book much more approachable.
Mrs. Burke, one of our Rhetoric School Humanities teachers, is helping lead the Dante discussions alongside Mr. Hill, Dean of Academics. She's shared some of the reading strategies she uses with students, and we're passing them along for anyone who's just beginning or already a few cantos in.
1. Get to Know the Story Before You Read
Sometimes it helps to know the shape of a story before you encounter it on the page.
The Divine Comedy follows Dante's journey through three realms: Hell (Inferno), Purgatory (Purgatorio), and Heaven (Paradiso). Each part is called a canticle, and each canticle is divided into shorter sections called cantos.
One way to familiarize yourself with the larger story is to listen to this BBC radio adaptation of The Divine Comedy. It includes three hour-long episodes, one for each canticle.
As Mrs. Burke suggests, hearing the story first can help you get "the shape of the story in your mind and imagination," making the text easier to approach.
2. Try Reading a Summary First
If you're struggling to follow a canto, try reading a short summary before returning to the text.
When you already know the basic events of a canto, you can spend less energy figuring out what's happening and more energy noticing the language, imagery, characters, and ideas.
Think of the summary as a map. It doesn't replace the experience of traveling through the landscape, but it helps you find your way.
The LitCharts summaries of Inferno are a helpful place to start.
3. Choose a Translation That Works for You
You don't have to read the same translation as everyone else to participate.
SCCS students and faculty are reading the Kirkpatrick translation, but Mrs. Burke also recommends the translations by Anthony Esolen and Jason Baxter as accessible options.
4. Read with a Pencil in Hand
One of the habits we encourage in classical education is active reading: approaching a text as something to think with, question, and respond to.
You don't need an elaborate annotation system. The best approach is the one that helps you pay attention.
Here are some of the simple marks Mrs. Burke uses with students:
Underline: A significant or memorable passage.
Circle: A name, place, or proper noun worth noticing.
! (Exclamation point): Something important that deserves closer attention
? (Question mark): Something to look up, a question to ask, or think about later
# (Hashtag): A recurring idea or motif you're tracking (#sight, #language, #fame, #justice, #community/isolation.)
* (Asterisk): Something you love or that captures your interest or imagination.
5. Ask a Few Good Questions as You Read
As you work through each canto, consider jotting down a few notes. These are some of the questions Mrs. Burke encourages students to ask:
Where are we? Pay attention to Dante's physical location. Where is he in the circles of Hell? How has the setting changed?
What sin is being described, and what is the contrapasso? Contrapasso refers to the relationship between a sin and its corresponding punishment. Consider what the punishment reveals about the nature of the sin.
Whom does Dante encounter? Note the major characters and what you learn from their conversations. What poetic symbols or images stand out?
What connections do you notice? Does a scene remind you of something earlier in the poem? Does Dante reference a biblical story, a classical myth, or a historical event? Why might he have chosen that particular comparison?
You don't need to answer every question for every canto. Choose one or two that help you read with greater attention.
6. Listen to the Conversation on The Voyager Voice
One of the joys of reading a great book in community is discovering what other people notice.
Through The Voyager Voice podcast, Mr. Hill and Mrs. Burke are helping guide our community through Dante, offering commentary, interpretation, and discussion along the way.
If you feel lost in a passage, hearing someone talk through it can help you find your footing. And even when you understand the reading, another person's questions or observations may open up something you hadn't considered.
You can listen as you read or simply tune in to follow the conversation.
It's Not Too Late to Begin
If you've been thinking about joining 100 Days of Dante, consider this your invitation.
You don't need to catch up on every canto before you can participate. Start with a summary. Read a few pages. Listen to an episode of The Voyager Voice.
At SCCS, we believe in the formative power of stories and find them even richer when read in community. We've chosen The Divine Comedy for its beauty, its place in the literary canon, and its profound influence on the Christian imagination.
We're glad to be exploring this remarkable work together.
Helpful Resources
Reading and annotation guidance contributed by Mrs. Burke, SCCS Humanities teacher.