How I did it: Dante writes some of the most iconic Western poetry but the references to figures and fables are obscure unless you've got a PhD in Art History.  Get a book that has extensive footnotes and actually read them as you go - it will contextualize the imagery.  Without it its a bunch of people with old world Italian names suffering odd agonies for eternity. 

---

Sep 12, 2008, 04:04PM PDT | 0 comments | 2 cheers