Dante 2

Dante’s Influence on Italian Culture Dante Alighieri was a very well known and influential poet in early literature. “He was not only a poet, he was also a philosophical thinker, an active politician, and a religious visionary” (Holmes 1). Dante was born in Florence in 1265, into the Guelph political party, one of the two main parties in Florence. The Guelphs were aristocrats and nobles. They supported the church and papacy and were against the Renaissance. …

…into perspective and let him write more freely (Holmes 1). Dante gave the world new ideas on politics, changed the style of poetry, and unified the Italian language. His effect can be seen in the writings that are prominent in Western culture today. Given his wide span of influence, it is easy to see why he is said to be “The greatest Italian poet and one of the most important writers of European literature” (Dante: 1265-1321).