Description
Book SynopsisIn a masterly synthesis of historical and literary analysis, Giuseppe Mazzotta shows how medieval knowledge systems--the cycle of the liberal arts, ethics, politics, and theology--interacted with poetry and elevated the Divine Comedy to a central position in shaping all other forms of discursive knowledge. To trace the circle of Dante's intellectua
Trade ReviewOne of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 1993 "Mazzotta's path-breaking alignment of medieval encyclopedias with Dante's poem sets new trends for Dante scholarship while silencing the debate between formalists and non-formalists which has directed Dante scholarship since the turn of the century. The book also offers startling new directions for medieval studies in general."--Brenda Deen Schildgen, Modern Language Notes
Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsNote on Dante's TextsIntroduction3Ch. 1Poetry and the Encyclopedia15Ch. 2Sacrifice and Grammar34Ch. 3The Light of Venus56Ch. 4Metaphor and Justice75Ch. 5Logic and Power96Ch. 6Imagination and Knowledge116Ch. 7The Dream of the Siren135Ch. 8Language and Vision154Ch. 9Theology and Exile174Ch. 10Order and Transgression197Ch. 11Theologia Ludens219Notes243Bibliography285Index317
