La Vita Nuova : Love Poems

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In La Vita Nuova, Dante describes how his passionate love for Beatrice grows from their very first childhood encounter.

This edition is the English translation by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, which was first published in The Early Italian Poets in 1861 and was met with great critical acclaim.

Through poems, sonnets and prose Dante recalls each meeting with Beatrice, endures her rejection and even her untimely death. He vows to honour her and to express his devotion and love for her through his poetry. Set in 13th century Florence, this is Dante’s first major work. This short book is at once a heartfelt account of youthful love and a religious allegory. La Vita Nuova serves as an important precursor to Dante’s masterpiece, The Divine Comedy.