Dante the Maker - William Anderson

First published in 1980, Dante the Maker examines the great Italian poet’s creative processes and presents a wider perspective on Dante. Divided into three major parts, it discusses themes like the making of a poet; power exile and the works of Dante’s middle years; and the making of the Commedia. The book allows Anderson to explore the relevant political backgrounds, historical context, aesthetic, philosophical and even scientific currents- and the events of Dante’s own life - and finally to give his own judgement on how these diverse forces impinged on the poet’s creative processes. This literary biography is a must read for scholars and researchers of Literature.