Dante and Milton

Book excerpt: Dante Alighieri and John Milton, two composers of vernacular epic poems, undoubtedly hold prominent positions in the literary canons of Italy and England respectively. Both authors have been made into universally important icons deeply engrained in the world’s cultural memory; their importance, however, extends vastly beyond their mere literary and political influence. This anthology explores the synchronic and diachronic constructions of Dante and Milton as such culturally produced icons. The main focus of the contributions in this collection is the production of cultural memory regarding Dante and Milton. The juxtaposition and comparison of the two authors invites a broader perspective that goes beyond merely national contexts as it touches on the question of the emergence of a European Dante and a European Milton. At the same time, the comparison of both allows for an exploration of various processes, namely of appropriating, forgetting and side-lining parts of their histories and politics – processes which the works and legacies of both authors have been subjected to throughout their literary and cultural reception.