Talk:Divine Comedy/Archives/2012

Ezra Pound and Binyon's translation

I knew that EP recommended Binyon's work (it is excellent, one of the best in English), but this article is the first mention I've found that states Pound had an active hand in LB's work. Can someone verify that assertion ? It's maybe not a big deal, but as a serious student of EP and Dante I just like to know such things. :) 98.30.49.10 (talk) 12:46, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Well, examples of Pound's letters in which he offers criticism and suggestions to Binyon can be found in The Letters of Ezra Pound, 1907–1941, ed. D. D. Paige (see especially letters 343, 344, and 346–349, all on the Purgatorio). I must admit, I've never specifically read Binyon's translation with an eye to determining how P.'s comments may or may not have affected the final product. Deor (talk) 13:04, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

Thanks for the pointer, I'll check out those letters. 98.30.49.10 (talk) 15:31, 11 January 2011 (UTC)

I added that note. I had a copy of Binyon that I found on the advice of a friend. I first noticed the Pound connection while reading some scholarship about Ezra Pound's Cantos where Binyon is referenced, and following the rabbit trail found the letters. Though I thought the assistance was interesting enough to write up, I didn't follow the letters to trace any of the additions in the final product.

Anyhow, at since then I've found two pertinent additional pieces of information on the subject; first, that when Pound was mentoring the young W.S. Merwin, he strongly recommended to Merwin the Binyon translation as far as style (Pound elsewhere said thought Binyon had finally produced a translation that was not tinged by Milton, which translations like Sayers are still palpably) and second that Binyon's edition was largely obscure until it was picked up by Viking for their "Portable Library" at which point Binyon claimed to have significantly revised at least his Inferno.

If you still want to discuss this, feel free to do so on my Talk Page. I did quite a bit of research for this topic.--Artimaean (talk) 00:29, 13 October 2012 (UTC)

The Islamic Philosophy Section

Not to offend anyone here but in the inferno section it seems to imply that dante hated islam thus he placed Mohammed in hell. but the section here seems to indicate otherwise. Is this an inconsistency or am i reading it wrong. I would like to see the inconsistency corrected (if it is indeed one) but i dont want to do it my self because of lack of experience with the material. Thanks Tca achintya (talk) 14:19, 22 April 2012 (UTC)

Works influenced by Divine Comedy

Dante's Divine Comedy has influenced Allama Muhammad Iqbal to write "Javid Nama"

"The Javid Nama (Persian: جاوید نامہ‎), or Book of Eternity, is a Persian book of poetry written by Allama Muhammad Iqbal and published in 1932. It is considered to be one of the masterpieces of Iqbal. It is inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy, and just as Dante's guide was Virgil, Iqbal is guided by Moulana Rumi. Both of them visit different spheres in the heavens coming across different people. Iqbal uses the pseudonym Zinda Rud for himself in this book"

Javid-Nama

I think that should be included in the article somehow, because if I remember correctly Iqbal was knighted for writing this book. --Mutawassam (talk) 07:56, 24 September 2012 (UTC)

Lead change

I think that this edit makes the lead worse rather than better. The Divine Comedy is universally so called in English, and bringing the relatively unimportant matter of the title up to such a prominent position (with the weaselly and awkward "title usually employed to designate") is completely unnecessary. In addition, the current wording fails to respect the use-mention distinction—the Divine Comedy is a poem, not a title. What do others think? Deor (talk) 20:22, 7 November 2012 (UTC)