This bibliography is intended to include the Dante translations
published in this country in 1956, and all Dante studies and reviews
published in 1956 that are in any sense American. The latter criterion
is now construed to include foreign reviews of Dante publications
by Americans. Systematic search for such foreign reviews has been
restricted to seven Italian and British periodicals, viz.,
Aevum, Convivium, Giornale Storico della Letteratura Italiana,
Rassegna della Letteratura Italiana, Studi Danteschi, Italian
Studies, and Modern Language Review; a few random reviews
from other foreign periodicals have also been included. The selected
periodicals have been checked for the years since 1953, when this
annual bibliography was begun. It is noteworthy that the results
of the search confirm the tread of increasing notice of American
Dante scholarship by European scholars.
As usual, items not recorded in the bibliographies for previous
years appear as addenda to the present list. The volume of Dante
material in the past year has, gratifyingly, continued at a high
level.
The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri. A Translation in terza rima, with Introduction and Arguments, by Glen L. Swiggett. Sewanee, Tennessee, The University Press of The University of the South. [1956]
Contains a preface stating the translator's intention of rendering
the poem "in simple modern English"; a dedicatory sonnet
"To My Life"; a short introduction outlining the broad
design of the poem; the translation in terza rima, with
a sonnet prefixed to each cantica--one to Dante by the
translator himself, the latter's translation of Michelangelo's
sonnet to Dante, and Rossetti's version of Oltre la spera che
più larga gira (Vita Nuova, XLI); and
'The Arguments" (pp. 547-567) summarizing the narrative
of each cantica.
"To Small Daylight: the Stony Sestina of Dante Alighieri" (Al poco giorno e al gran cerchio d'ombra). Translated by Leslie Fiedler. In Kenyon Review, XVIII, 261-262. [1956]
A very faithful version, preserving the rhyme-scheme of the
original, preceded by the Italian text and Rossetti's version
and by a critical interpretation and commentary, entitled "Green
Thoughts in a Green Shade: Reflections on the Stony Sestina of
Dante Alighieri." (See below, under Studies.)
T. R. Adams. "A Rediscovered Dante Credo." In Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America, XL, 181-182. [1956]
Notices a Pseudo-Dante Credo recently "rediscovered"
in the University of Pennsylvania Library and assigns to it the
following imprint: [Florence, Lorenzo Morgiani and Johannes Petri
between 1495 and 1500].
Alessandro Bausani. "Dante and Iqbal." In Crescent and Green. A Miscellany of Writings on Pakistan. New York, Philosophical Library. Pp. 162-170. (Also: London, Cassell, and New York British Book Service.) [1956]
Discusses general parallels in the celestial journeys of Dante
and the Pakistan poet Mohammed Iqbal (1877-1938) and certain
differences stemming from the different spiritual orientation
of Christianity and Islam, with the conclusion that the spirits
of Dante and Iqbal may nevertheless "exist in perfect harmony."
Iqbal's philosophical poem is entitled Asrár-i Khudí
("The Secrets of the Self").
C. B. Beall. "A Dantean Simile in Browning." In Modern Language Notes, LXXI, 492-493. [1956]
Points out in Browning's poem "Cleon" (1855) a parallel
with Dante's butterfly-image in Purgatorio
X, 124-129, which has been de-Christianized, however, to
enhance the dramatic irony.
Erich Berger."Eine Vermutung, Stefan Georges Übertragungen aus der Göttlichen Komödie betreffend." In Monatshefte, XLVIII, 345-359. [1956]
Submits, on the basis of chronology and on the comparative evidence
of particular instances of identical or near-identical rendering
in their respective translations from Dante, that the youthful
Stefan George was led to the Italian original of the Divine
Comedy by the German version of August Komisch, which must
have reechoed in George's mind later while doing his own translations
from Dante.
Irma Brandeis. "Metaphor in The Divine Comedy." In Hudson Review, VIII, 557-575. [1956]
Considers Eliot's generalization that Dante's similes and metaphors
are few and simply designed solely to make us see more realistically
what he saw on the poetic journey, is, though applicable to the
Inferno, inadequate to one's experience of the whole poem.
From an examination of many examples, Dante's imagination is found
to operate on the particular level of each cantica developing
the imagery in kind and depth with the pilgrim's growth in understanding
and vision. Thus, while the Inferno contains sharp, visual
comparisons and contrast-stressing images, without further
insight as to meaning, the Purgatorio increasingly employs
more complex comparisons that look beyond things as things and
involve greater depth of interpretive meaning; the Paradiso,
in turn, tends to leave behind concrete, sensuous likenesses
in favor of more abstract or conceptual imagery.
William Ebenstein. Great Political Thinkers. Second Edition Enlarged. New York, Rinehart. [1956]
Contains a chapter on Dante (pp. 238-256), consisting of
an introductory essay to establish the historical setting, followed
by excerpts from the De Mom rc~ in the F. C. Church translation.
In the "Bibliographical Notes," there is a selected
bibliography, with commentary, for this chapter.
Francis Fergusson. " 'Mito' e scrupolo letterario." In Delta, N. S., No. 9, 7-16. [1956]
This is an Italian version (translated by Giulio Vallese) of the
following item.
Francis Fergusson. " 'Myth' and the Literary Scruple." In Sewanee Review, LXIV, 171-185. [1956]
Discuses the difficulty of arriving at a general definition of
"Myth," because of the protean quality it has assumed
at present; cites Malinowski's basic classification of Myth--legends,
folly or fairy tales, and religious myths; and gives examples
of myths as brought to life poetically in the works of Valéry,
Wagner, and Dante. The author finds that all the kinds of Myth
and all the attitudes to Myth are handled masterfully by Dante
and concludes that if we wish to consider the life of Myth in
the poetry of our tradition, we must look to the vast and neglected
lore in the Divine Comedy.
Leslie Fiedler. "Green Thoughts in a Green Shade: Reflections on the Stony Sestina of Dante Alighieri." In Kenyon Review, XVIII, 240-262. [1956]
Gives a comprehensive interpretation of Al poco giorno e al
gran cerchio d'ombra, exploring the rich possibilities of
association, antithesis, and paradox in the poem, and including
a critical running commentary to his own translation of the poem
which follows, accompanied by the original Italian text and Rossetti's
version (See above, under Translations.)
Georges Florovsky. Vladimir Solov'ev and Dante: the Problem Empire." In For Roman Jakobson. Essays on the Occasion of His Sixtieth Birthday, 11 October, 1956. Compiled by Morris Halle and others. The Hague, Mouton and Company. Pp. l52-l60. [1956]
Directs attention to Dante's probable impact upon the formation
of the theocratic ideas of Vladimir Solov'ev (Russian idealistic
philosopher, antic, and poet). Solov'ev was reading Dante when
writing a "The Great Controversy (in Rus, 1883), and
he made brief but very significant mention of Dante in La Russie
et l'Eglise Universelle (Paris, 1889).
Joseph Frank. "Major Barbara--Shaw's 'Divine Comedy'." In PMLA, LXXI, 61-74. [1956]
Contends, while admitting the enormous differences between Major
Barbara and the Divine Comedy, that the Dantean perspective
helps us to see a greater significance in Shaw's play: Major
Barbara, in ideological terms of the twentieth century, develops
a pattern of sin, repentance, and salvation, is cosmic in scope,
and has an inexorable internal logic
J. G. Fucilla. Saggistica letteraria italiana. Bibliografia per soggetti, 1938-1952. Florence, Sansoni Antiquariato. ("Contributi alla Biblioteca Bibligrafica Italica diretta da Marino Parenti," 12.) [1956]
On the model of his Universal Author Repertoire of Italian
Essay Literature (New York, 1941), the author has indexed
and classified by subject essays that appeared in Italian miscellaneous
essay volumes between 1938 and l952. A useful and considerable
list of studies and essays is included under "Dante"
(pp. 103-106). (For reviews, see below.)
Mary Giffin. "Paradiso XXVI, 97." In Modern Language Notes, LXXI, 30-33. [1956]
Suggests, as was also hinted at by Momigliano, that the image
intended by un animal coverto is that of a caparisoned
horse--a familiar figure in medieval processions and in medieval
art.
G. H. Gifford. "A History of the Dante Society." In 74th Annual Report of the Dante Society, 3-27. [1956]
Gives a comprehensive history of the Dante Society of America,
with details of its various activities from the earliest informal
beginnings and its organization in 1881 to its official incorporation
in 1954.
Robert Gittings. The Mask of Keats: a Study of Problems. Cambridge (Mass.), Harvard University Press. [1956]
Contains a study of "Keats's Debt to Dante" (pp. 54),
demonstrating, from the unique markings in Keats's copy of Dante,
the English poet's deep indebtedness to the Inferno in
Cary's version. Keats's Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion,
in particular, reveal influences of the Inferno in
terms of atmosphere, imagery, and ground-pattern; and some
of his finest sonnets, La Belle Dame Sans Merci, and other
works also show influence of the Inferno. In two Appendixes
A and B, the author reproduces "Keats's Markings in his Copy
of the Inferno" and "Poems or Passages of Keats's
Poetry Influenced by his Reading of the Inferno."
J. E. Hankins. "The Pains of the Afterworld: Fire, Wind, and Ice in Milton and Shakespeare." In PMLA, LXXI, 482-495. [1956]
Contains some comparisons with Dante's Hell and Purgatory, and
concludes that "the evidence controverts the popular impression
that later writers on the Afterworld borrowed their descriptions
primarily from Dante": they frequently drew, rather, on a
common tradition of other-worldly lore.
Bruno Maier. "Rassegna bibliografica: Dante." In Rassegna della Letteratura Italiana, Anno 60, Serie VII, 348-353 and 541-554. [1956]
Includes notices of varying length of many American Dante studies.
W. T. Marrocco. "The Enigma of the Canzone." In Speculum, XXXI, 704-713. [1956]
Against Dante's testimony in the De Vulgari Eloquentia,
the author questions the suitability of the canzone of
Dante's time for a musical setting, because of its self-sufficient
nature as a poetic form, its length and lofty tone, and especially
the lack of any extant musical settings of the canzoni
of the period. Of the two possible conclusions he proposes, viz.,
that the music for the canzone in Dante's time was improvised,
or that the canzone was no longer sung but recited to an
improvised instrumental accompaniment, the author favors the latter.
Sister M. Maura. 'Tourist in Dante." In Accent, XVI, 191-192. [1956]
A poem in the modern manner expressing in three short stanzas,
each inspired by a cantica of the Divine Comedy,
certain impressions and reactions of a contemporary wayfarer on
Dante's poetic journey.
F. D. Maurino. "El Viaje de Cervantes y la Comedia de Dante." In Kentucky Foreign Language Quarterly, III, 7-12. [1956]
Considers the Dantesque elements in Cervantes' Viaje del Parnaso
to be more substantial than they at first appears and submits
that the humorous tone of the Viaje, with its satire and
parody of contemporary poetasters, gains significantly in effect
from the contrasting allusions to the lofty and austere Divine
Comedy.
J. A. Mazzeo. "Dante's Conception of Poetic Expression." In Romanic Review, XLVII, 241-258. [1956]
Considers Dante's discussions of allegory in the Convivio
(II, i) and in the letter to Can Grande (7 and 8) in the light
of medieval theories of allegory and modern Dante criticism (according
to Nardi and Singleton) and finds, with Nardi, that Dante confused"
the allegory of poets and the allegory of theologians to claim
prophetic inspiration and depth of vision and to assert the importance
of poetry as giving truth on a par with philosophy. Dante recognized
the value of metaphor as a means by which theology (and philosophy)
and poetry can both express truths that would otherwise be inexpressible.
Thus, the Divine Comedy (especially the Paradiso)
translates a vision of spiritual or intellectual light into
metaphorical terms of sensible light which provide a gradual accommodation
of the wayfarer's vision to the ultimate reality in God. For this
blend of light-metaphysics, poetic theory, and theology Dante
seems to be considerably indebted to Pseudo-Dionysius the
Areopagite.
J. A. Mazzeo. "Dante's Sun Symbolism ." In Italica, XXXIII, 243-251. [1956]
Discusses the symbol of the sun in the history of Western light-symbolism
down to the light-metaphysics of Saint Augustine and other
medieval thinkers, who adopted the Platonic metaphor of the Good
as the sun of the intellect, and shows how Dante used the sun-symbol
with full awareness of the complex significance it had acquired
in the tradition.
Margaret Munsterberg. "An Early French Edition of Guerino." In Boston Public library Quarterly, VIII, 108-111. [1956]
Describes a copy of the Decuchermoys version (1530) of Andrea
da Barberino's Guerino il Meschino, summarizes the story,
and discusses briefly, with some notice of past opinion, the similarities
between Guerino's visions of Saint Patrick's Purgatory and Dante's
visions in the Inferno and the Purgatorio.
Lowry Nelson, Jr. "The Rhetoric of Ineffability: Toward a Definition of Mystical Poetry." In Comparative Literature, VIII, 323-336. [1956]
Focusing upon mystical poetry from a purely literary standpoint,
the author discusses the paradox of expressing the ineffable with
earth-bound works and outlines a general "rhetoric of the
ineffable" abstracted from the means employed by certain
poets, particularly Dante ("struggle with memory") and
Saint John of the ("suspension of sensation"), for communicating
their mystical experiences.
H. R. Patch. El otro mundo en la literatura medieval. Traducción de J. H. Campos. Seguido de un Apéndice: La visión de trasmundo en las literaturas hispánicas, por Maria Rosa Lida de Malkiel. Mexico-Buenos Aires, Fondo de Cultura Económica. [1956]
Spanish translation of Patch's well-known work, The Other World
According to Descriptions in Medieval Literature (Cambridge,
Mass., 1950),which contains ample reference to Dante's visions
of the Afterworld.
J. S. Patty. "Baudelaire's Knowledge and Use of Dante." In Studies in Philology, LIII, 599-611. [1956]
Submits, on examination of the evidence, that Baudelaire read
only part of the Divine Comedy (probably no more than the
Inferno) in the French version by Fiorentino, and that
although he quoted fifty lines from this translation in the Salon
de 1846 and alluded to Dante briefly and unimportantly some
half-dozen times in his works, the only significant instance of
Baudelaire's use of Dante lies in a passage of "Femmes damnées:
Delphine et Hippolyte," which is markedly influenced by Inferno
V. Thus, the effort to see in Baudelaire a "modern Dante"
seems to be misguided and misinformed.
A. L. Pellegrini. "American Dante Bibliography for l955." In 74th Annual Report of the Dante Society, 45-63. [1956]
With brief analyses.
R. H. Perrin. "Some Notes on Troubadour Melodic Types." In Journal of the American Musicological Society, IX, 12-18. [1956]
Discusses, with examples, the more commonly encountered troubadour
melodic types, names for which are abstracted from Dante's authoritative
De Vulgari Eloquentia: (1) oda continua (through
composed); (2) pedes cum cauda--a a b; (3) frons cum
versibus--a b b; (4) pedes cum versibus--a a b b. The
author emphasizes that the classification of melodic types must
not utilize designations of poetic types, since the melodic pattern
was not governed by the type of lyric to which it was joined,
but the same melodic type might serve a variety of poetic types
(vers, canso, tenso, sirventes, rotruenge,
and so forth).
E. B. Place. "Present Status of the Controversy over Francisco Imperial." In Speculum, XXXI, 478-484. [1956]
Reviews, with particular reference to Lapesa, Woodford, ant Le
Gentil, the controversy over Dante's influence on Imperial; further
argues his own previous contention that Imperial did not imitate
Dante primarily, nor form a group of Dante imitators; and concluding,
discerns a trend towards acceptance of this revised opinion.
Denis de Rougemont. Love in the Western World. Translated by Montgomery Belgion. Revised and Augmented Edition. New York, Pantheon Books. [1956]
Refers to Dante in a short section on "Sicily, Italy, Beatrice,
and Symbols" (pp. 177-180) and passim, in the context
of his central thesis of "the inescapable conflict in the
West between passion and marriage." (First American edition:
New York, 1940. Originality published in French as L'Amour
et l'Occident, Paris, 1939.)
George Santayana. Essays in Literary Criticism. Selected and Edited, with an Introduction, by Irving Singer. New York, Scribner's Sons. [1956]
Contains Santayana's famous essay on Dante (pp. 30-52) of Three
Philosophical Poets, as well as essays on "Platonic Love
in Some Italian Poets" (pp. 94-111) and "Tragic Philosophy"
(pp. 266-277), which are also concerned to some extent with Dante.
The editor's introductory essay on "Santayana as a Literary
Critic" includes a discussion of Santayana's attitude toward
Dante. (For reviews, see below.)
H. H. Schless. "Chaucer and Dante: a Revaluation." Dissertation Abstracts, XVI, 1675. (Dissertation, University of Pennsylvania, 1956.) [1956]
From a contextual investigation of their literary relationships,
the author finds that, beyond direct translations from Dante used
chiefly for the content, Chaucer's principal borrowing from Dante
consisted of images of verbal or dramatic force, and these mostly
from the beginnings and ends of Dante's three cantiche, especially
the opening cantos of the Inferno.
C S. Singleton. "Italian Literature: Three Masters, Three Epochs." In World Literatures. By Joseph Ramenyi and others. Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Press. Pp. 154-169. [1956]
Distinguishes in Italian literature three major epochs (or moods),
epitomized in the following epithets: (1) "a journey to God"
(Middle Ages), exemplified by Dante's Comedy; (2) "nowhere
to go" (Renaissance), exemplified by Boccaccio's Decameron;
and (3) "an outward journey to the infinite" (Romanticism),
exemplified by Leopardi's "L'infinito." The discussion
includes interesting interpretations of portions of the Divine
Comedy.
C S. Singleton. "Virgil Recognizes Beatrice." In 74th Annual Report of the Dante Society, 29-38. [1956]
Contends that in Inferno II, when Virgil addresses Beatrice
in the words "O donna di virtà," he recognizes
her both literally as the Florentine woman sung by Dante
in the Vita Nuova and the Rime and allegorically
as the Lady Philosophy (or Contemplation or "created Sapientia")
of the Convivio in the ancient philosophical sense of the
means of rising beyond the sub-lunar world of fortune, of
change and impermanence, to the supra-lunar realm of changelessness
and permanence. Virgil's perspective is seen, moreover, to be
limited by the pagan frame of thought, and thus, in the Purgatorio,
at Beatrice's appearance to Dante, including a still further,
analogical, aspect from the Christian perspective, viz., that
of "uncreated Sapientia" which is Christ, Virgil
has already disappeared from the poem's action.
G. C. Smith. T. S. Eliot's Poetry and Plays: a Study in Sources and Meaning. Chicago, University of Chicago Press. [1956]
Contains frequent reference, passim, to the Dantean element
in Eliot's works. Well indexed.
Leo Spitzer. "II 'Detto del Gatto Lupesco'." In Giornale Storico della Letteratura Italiana, CXXXIII, 1-24. [1956]
Contends that Guerrieri-Crocetti's allegorical interpretation
of the Detto goes too far and, offering a different one,
refutes the parallels with the Divine Comedy also suggested
by the latter.
Domenico Vittorini. "La realtà storica del Dolce Stil Nuovo." In Symposium, X, 125-128. [1956]
Seeking to determine the specific value of the term dolce stil
nuovo as used in Purgatorio XXIV, the author notes,
from a strict theory standpoint, three zones in Dante's works:
(1) that of the Vita Nuova, where the poetic orientation
is still doctrinal; (2) the theorizing of the De Vulgari Eloquentia;
and (3) the fullness of Dante's art in the Divine Comedy.
He considers that the great lyric poetry of the youthful Dante
and his contemporaries arose independently of the then doctrinal
theory of poetry, and that the dolce stil nuovo concept,
associating poetry with sentiment and moral perfection with perfect
love, found conscious theoretic expression only later, in the
Purgatorio.
E. H. Wilkins. "Return to Limbus" In 74th Annual Report of the Dante Society, 39-44. [1956]
On the conviction that the otherworldly setting, characters, and
events of the Divine Comedy represented an actual and continuing
reality in Dante's consciousness, the author imagines, in the
form of a fantasy in verse, Virgil's return to Limbus, his account
to the noble spirits of his journey with Dante to the Earthly
Paradise, punctuated by their reactions and eager questioning,
and an estimate by Virgil of Dante's greatness.
Dante Alighieri. The Inferno. Translated by John Ciardi (See 73rd Report, 53-54, and 74th Report, 57 and 62.) Reviewed by:
A. L. Pellegrini, in Modern Language Quarterly XVII, 183-186;
Ulrich Weisstein, in Yearbook of Comparative and General Literature
V, 86-89.
Dante Alighieri. Purgatory. Translated by Dorothy L. Sayers. (See 74th Report, 45-46 and 57, and see below, under Addenda.) Reviewed by:
Colin Hardie, in Modern Language Review, LI, 285-286.
Erich Auerbach. Mimesis. (See 68th-72nd Reports, 43-44, and 74th Report, 58 and 62, and see below, under Addenda.) Reviewed by:
H. M. McLuhan, in Renascence, IX, 99-100;
Charles Muscatine, in Romance Philology, IX, 448-457.
Hans Baron. Crisis of the Early Italian Renaissance. (See 74th Report 46-47.) Reviewed by:
W. J. Bouwsma, in Renaissance News, IX, 27-30;
W. K. Ferguson, in Speculum, XXXI, 344-346;
M. P. Gilmore, in American Historical Review, LXI, 622-624;
Dayton Phillips, in Italica, XXXIII, 79-82;
Aldo Scaglione, in Romance Philology, X, 129-137.
Charles Trinkaus, in Journal of the History of Ideas, XVII, 426-432;
Nino Valeri, in Newberry Library Bulletin, IV, 88-92;
Domenico Vittorini, in Modern Language Journal, XL, 107-108.
W. W. Wilkinson, in Catholic Historical Review, XLII, 245-246.
R. P. Blackmur. The Lion and the Honeycomb. (See 74th Report, 48 and 58.) Reviewed by:
Joseph Frank, in Partisan Review, XXIII, 265-273.
C. M. Bowra. "Dante and Arnaut Daniel" and "Dante and Sordello." (See 74th Report, 48, and 68th-72nd Reports, 44, respectively.) Reviewed by:
Marco Boni, in Studi Danteschi, XXXIII, Fasc. 2, 167-174.
C. M. Bowra. Inspiration and Poetry. (See 74th Report, 48 and 58.)
Reviewed by:
Bernard Giovate, in Comparative Literature, VIII, 168-170.
I Classici italiani nella storia della critica. Opera in due volumi diretta da Walter Binni. I: Da Dante al Tasso. II: Da Galileo a D'Annunzio. Florence, La Nuova Italia, 1954-1956. Reviewed by:
Domenico Vittorini, in Italica, XXXIII, 301-304.
Wayne Conner. "Inferno, XVIII, 66 ('femmine da conio') and 51 ('pungenti salse')." (See 74th Report, 49.) Reviewed by:
C. F., in Studi Danteschi, XXXIII, Fasc. 2, 174-175.
E. R. Curtius. European Literature and the Latin Middle Ages. (See 68th-72nd Reports, 45, and 74th Report, 62.) Reviewed by:
J. R O'Donnell, in The Phoenix, X, 29-31.
Francis Fergusson. Dante's Drama of the Mind. (See 68th-72nd Reports, 45-46, 73rd Report, 64, and 74th Report, 58 and 62, and see below, under Addenda.) Reviewed by:
Yvonne Batard, in Les Lettres Romanes, X, 206-208.
W. P. Friederich. Outline of Comparative Literature. (See 73rd Report, 56, and 74th Report, 58.) Reviewed by:
Mary Gaither, in Yearbook of Comparative and General Literature, V, 65-66;
S. 0. Palleske, in Comparative Literature, VIII, 355-357;
J. Voisine, in Revue de Littérature Comparée,
XXX, 585-588.
J. G. Fucilla. Saggistica letteraria italiana. (See above.) Reviewed by:
Giulio Vallese, in Italica, XXXIII, 308-309.
Ewart Lewis. Medieval Political Ideas. (See 73rd Report, 57, and 74th Report, 59.) Reviewed by:
C. N. R. McCoy, in Catholic Historical Review, XLII, 363.
Jacques Maritain. Creative Intuition in Art and Poetry. (See 73rd Report, 65-66, and 74th Report, 51 and 62.) Reviewed by:
R. T. F. [R. T. Flewelling], in The Personalist, XXXVII,
88-89.
Louis Rossi. "Dante and the Poetic Tradition in the Commentary of Benvenuto da Imola." (See 74th Report, 52-53.) Reviewed by:
C. F., in Studi Danteschi, XXXIII, Fasc. 2, 178.
George Santayana. Essays in Literary Criticism. (See above.) Review by:
Alfred Kazin, in N. Y. Times Book Review, 25 Nov., p. 5.
Dorothy L. Sayers. Introductory Papers on Dante. (See 74th Report, 59 and 61, and see below, under Addenda.) Reviewed by:
[Anon.], in Yale Review, XLV, xviii-xxii;
W. M. Miller, in Italica, XXXIII, 83;
R. J. Schoeck, in Thought, XXXI, 462-464.
A. L. Sells. The Italian Influence in English Poetry. (See 74th Report, 53 and 60.) Reviewed by:
H. H. Blanchard, in Modern Language Notes, LXXI, 515-518.
J. R Caldwell, in Romance Philology, X, 46-49;
J. A. Mazzeo, in Renaissance News, IX, 25-27;
V. de Sola Pinto, in Italian Studies, XI, 134-136;
Mario Praz, in Modern Philology, LIII, 274-275.
C. S. Singleton. Dante Studies 1. (See 73rd Report, 60-61, and 74th Report, 60, and see below, under Addenda.) Reviewed by:
Gianfranco Contini, in Romance Philology, IX, 463-467;
R J. Schoeck, in Thought, XXXI, 462-464.
Leo Spitzer. "The Addresses to the Reader in the Commedia." (See 74th Report, 53.) Reviewed by:
C. F., in Studi Danteschi, XXXIII, Fasc. 2, 175-176.
Leo Spitzer. "The 'Ideal Typology' in Dante's De Vulgari Eloquentia." (See 74th Report, 54.) Reviewed by:
C. F., in Studi Danteschi, XXXIII, Fasc. 2, 176-177.
W. B. Stanford. The Ulysses Theme. (See below, under Addenda.) Reviewed by:
Thomas Cutt, in Classical Journal, LII, 143-144;
Richmond Lattimore, in The Phoenix, X, 78-80.
Wylie Sypher. Four Stages of Renaissance Style. (See 74th Report, 55, and 60.) Reviewed by:
Creighton Gilbert, in Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, XIV, 394-395.
[Anon.], in History of Ideas News Letter, II, 43.
W. Y. Tindall. The Literary Symbol. (See 74th Report, 5.) Reviewed by:
William Blackburn, in South Atlantic Quarterly, LV, 392-393;
Harry Levin, in Modern Philology, LIV, 53-55;
Edzia Weisberg, in New Republic, CXXXIV (2 Jan.), 18-19.
Giuseppe Toffanin. History of Humanism. (See 73rd Report, 61-62, and 74th Report, 60.) Reviewed by:
W. W. Wilkinson, in Thought, XXXI, 145-146.
B. L. Ullman. Studies in the Italian Renaissance. (See below, under Addenda.) Reviewed by:
W. L Grant, in The Phoenix, X, 89-91;
W. J. Ong, in Classical Journal, LI, 188-189;
Giovanni Ponte, in Rassegna della Lettertura Italiana, Serie VII, Anno 60, 511-515.
Giorgio Radetti, in Giornale Storico della Letteratura Italiana,
CXXXIII, 426-436.
René Wellek. History of Modern Criticism. (See 74th Report, 56 and 60.) Reviewed by:
Newton Arvin, in Partisan Review, XXIII, 124-127;
Erich Auerbach, in Romanische Forschungen, LXVII, 387-397;
Grover Cronin, Jr., in Thought, XXXI, 148-152;
Northrop Frye, in Virginia Quarterly Review, XXXII, 310-315;
C. T. Harrison, in Sewanee Review, LXIV, 520-524;
Walter Silz, in Germanic Review, XXXI, 307-309;
A. S. P. Woodhouse, in University of Toronto Quarterly,
XXV, 507-510.
E H. Wilkins. History of Italian Literature. (See 73rd Report, 62, and 74th Report, 60, and see below, under Addenda.) Reviewed by:
Umberto Bosco, in Romance Philology, IX, 461-463;
A. M. Gisolfi, in Italica, XXXIII, 75-78;
Uberto Limentani, in Il Ponte, XI, 1711-1712;
J. E. Shaw, in University of Toronto Quarterly, XXV, 511;
Roberto Weiss, in Modern Language Review, LI, 140-141.
Paradiso. In The Wisdom of Catholicism. Edited with an Introduction and Notes by A. G. Pegis. New York, Random House. [1955]
The Carlyle-Wicksteed version of the Paradiso (pp. 320-443),
reprinted from the "Modern Library" edition (New York,
1932), with a brief prefatory note. The Wisdom of Catholicism
was originally published in the "Lifetime Library" (New
York, 1949). [1955]
Guido Capponi: "La Fortuna di Dante attraverso le riviste del periodo coloniale americano." In Studi Danteschi, XXXI, Fasc. 2, 81-119. [l953]
Finds, from an examination of American periodicals from 1745 to
1830, that early America's attitude towards things Italian was
generally unfavorable, that it was acquired from British writings
and reinforced by Puritan anti-Catholicism, and that the
unfavorable attitude endured in varying degree even after English
opinion improved and American travelers were beginning to have
first-hand contact with Italy. It is only after 1800 that
there arose a significant interest in Dante as well as in Italian
literature in general. This developing interest became the exclusive
province of the intellectuals.
William Fleming. Arts and Ideas. New York, Holt. [1955]
Contains a chapter on "The Early Italian Renaissance Style
(pp. 301-335), in terms of "naturalism" and "Franciscan
humanism," with a brief, general section on Dante (pp. 325-328)
in this context. There are also references, passim, to
Dante's influence on nineteenth-century writers, artists, and
composers, particularly during the Gothic Revival.
W. L. Grant. "Petrarch's Africa, I, 4-6." In Philological Quarterly, XXXIV, 76-81. [1955]
Points out briefly that in contrast to some Renaissance Latin
writers who consider Dante the great reviver of poetry and humane
letters, others, like Cristoforo Landino, honor Petrarch without
mentioning Dante. Citing Petrarch's chilly attitude toward Dante,
the author goes on to show the former's own self-esteem,
with particular reference to the passage indicated in the Africa.
C. Izzo. "Dante nella poesia americana." In Prospetti, No. 6, 143-154. [1954]
Surveys the interest in Dante evidenced in the works of contemporary
American poet, e.g., Pound, Eliot, Sarah Teasdale, Robert Lowell,
Kenneth Rexroth; traces the historical tradition of this interest
principally from Longfellow down; and accounts for the congeniality
of Dante in America in terms of his sustained energy, virility,
high moral sense, and realistic poetic vision (For reviews, see
below.)
Angeline H. Lograsso. Dante e la Madonna. Rome, Marietti. [1955]
A somewhat longer version in Italian of the author's "Dante
and Our Lady." (See 73rd Report, 57-58.)
Leonardo Olschki. L'Italia e il suo genio. [Translated from the English by Laurana Palombi and Marisa Bulgheroni.] 2 vols. Milan, Mondadori. ("Biblioteca Contemporanea Mondadori," 1.) [1953]
Italian version of the author's The Genius of Italy. (See
73rd Report, 58. For reviews, see below.)
P. G. Ricci. "Bibliografia dantesca del 1951." In Studi Danteschi, XXXI, Fasc. 2, 121-153. [1953]
Includes critical notices of varying length of many American Dante
studies.
W. B. Stanford. The Ulysses Theme: a Study in the Adaptability of a Traditional Hero. New York, Macmillan. (Also, a British edition: Oxford, Blackwell, 1954.) [1955]
Contains a thoughtful discussion (pp.178-183) of Dante's as "the
first great vernacular portrait of Ulysses the wanderer,"
and also numerous references (not all recorded in the index) to
Dante, passim, especially as the latter's hero is reflected
in, or contrasted with, the Ulysses of subsequent poets down to
the present. (For reviews, see above, p. 33.)
Allen Tate. The Forlorn Demon: Didactic and Critical Essays. Chicago, Regnery. [1953]
Contains a chapter on "The Symbolic Imagination: the Mirrors
of Dante" (pp. 32-55), originally published in Kenyon
Review and reprinted in another collection of the author's
essays, The Man of Letters in the Modern World. (See 74th
Report, 55-56.)
B. L. Ullman. Studies on the Italian Renaissance. Rome, Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura. [1955]
In a chapter on "Renaissance, the Word and the Underlying,
Concept" (pp. 11-25), reprinted from Studies in Philology,
XLIX (1952), 105-118, the new humanism is considered to have
in origins in Dante's time. The author cites early Renaissance
testimony (e g., Boccaccio, Salutati, Villani, and Polenton) honoring
Dante as the reviver of the Muses. Further occasional mention
of Dante, passim, is recorded in the index. (For reviews,
see above, p. 34.)
W. G. Williams. Selected Essays. New York, Random House. [1954]
In an essay entitled "Against the Weather: a Study of the
Artist" (pp. 196-218), reprinted from Twice a Year,
No. 2 (1939), 53-78, the Divine Comedy, in comparison
with the Libro de Buen Amor, figures prominently in the
author's argument, which is concerned with the definition of art
in its universality and constant applicability and the mission
of the artist in his specific time or environment ("weather").
Distinguishing between art and content, Williams says that Dante
the artist, not the dogmatist, gives life today, and it is specifically
in terms of art as sensual portrayal that Dante triumphs. Furthermore,
conceiving liberty as a necessity of art, he sees in the Comedy
the artist's usual struggle with the restrictiveness of his time.
(For reviews, see below.)
Dante Alighieri. The Divine Comedy. Translated by H. R. Huse. (See 73rd Report, 53, and 74th Report, 57.) Reviewed by:
W. E. G. [W. E. Garrison], in Christian Century, LXXII, 20;
Allan Gilbert, in South Atlantic Quarterly, LIV, 438.
Dante Alighieri. Purgatory. Translated by Dorothy L. Sayers. (See above, p. 32.) Reviewed by:
C. F., in Studi Danteschi, XXXIII, Fasc. 1, 219-221.
Dante Alighieri. Monarchy and Three Political Letters. Translated by Donald Nicholl and Colin Hardie. (See 73rd Report, 54-55, and 73rd Report, 57-58.) Reviewed by:
T. A. G. [T. A. Gill], in Christian Century, LXXII, 398.
Erich Auerbach. Mimesis. (See above, p. 30.) Reviewed by:
P. F. Baum, in South Atlantic Quarterly, LIII [1954], 428430;
Harry Bergholz, in Modern Language Journal, XXXIX, 109;
R. M. Grant, in Anglican Theological Review, XXXVII, 229-231.
Roger Sharrock, in Modern Language Review, L, 61-62.
Francis Fergusson. Dante's Drama of the Mind. (See above, p. 31.) Reviewed by:
Charles Davis, in Studi Danteschi, XXXII, Fasc. 1[1954], 134-139;
W. E. G. [W. E. Garrison], in Christian Century, LXXI, [1954], 337;
Colin Hardie, in Modern Language Review, L, 221;
Giulio Varese, in Delta, N. S., No.5 [1953], 68-76.
J. G. Fucilla. Studies and Notes. (See 68th-72nd Reports, 46.) Reviewed by:
Marco Boni, in Convivium, N. S., XXIII, 471-473.
Carlo Izzo. "Dante nella poesia americana." (See above, p. 36.) Reviewed by:
Luciano Cherchi, in Convivium, N. S., XXIII, 116-117.
Kenyon Review, XIV (1952), No. 2: "Dante Alighieri: a Symposium of Modern Critics, Edited by Francis Fergusson." (Essays by Auerbach, Blackmur, Eliot, Fergusson, Fitzgerald, Maritain, Singleton, and Tate.) Reviewed by:
C. F., in Studi Danteschi, XXXIII, Fasc. 1, 208-217.
Literary Masterpieces of the Western World. Edited by F. H. Horn. (Contains an essay on Dante by Edward Williamson. See 68th-72nd Reports, 48-49.) Reviewed by:
W. P. Friederich, in Yearbook of Comparative and General Literature,
III [1954], 80-82.
Leonardo Olschki. Dante "poeta veltro". (See 68th-72nd Report, 47.) Reviewed by:
M. S. S. [Maria Sampoli Simonelli], in Studi Danteschi,
XXXII, Fasc. 1 [1954], 101-105.
Leonardo Olschki. L'Italia e il suo genio. (See above, p. 36) Reviewed by:
Umberto Pirotti, in Convivium, N.S., XXIII, 129-145.
A. S. Roe. Blake's Illustrations to the Divine Comedy. (See 68th-72nd Reports, 47, and 75th Report, 59 and 63.) Reviewed by:
H. M. Margoliouth, in Review of English Studies, N. S.,
VI, 207-209.
Dorothy L. Sayers. Introductory Papers on Dante. (See above, p. 32.) Reviewed by:
C. F., in Studi Danteschi, XXXII, Fasc. 2 [1954], 207-218;
Kenelm Foster, in Italian Studies, X, 64-66;
J. H. Whitfield, in Modern Language Review, L, 551-553.
C. S. Singleton. Dante Studies 1. (See above, p. 33.) Reviewed by:
Colin Hardie, in Modern Language Review, L, 554-555.
C. S. Singleton. "Justice in Eden." (In 68th-72nd Reports, 3-33. See 73rd Report, 61, and 74th Report, 53.) Reviewed by:
C. F., in Studi Danteschi, XXXII, Fasc. 2 [1954], 218-220.
E. H. Wilkins. "Blake's Drawing of Dante's Celestial Scaleo." (In 68th-72nd Reports, 35-42. See 73rd Report, 62.) Reviewed by:
C. F., in Studi Danteschi, XXXII, Fasc. 2 [1954], 221.
E. H. Wilkins. History of Italian Literature. See Above, p. 34.) Reviewed by:
Ezio Raimondi, in Convivium, N. S., XXIII, 631-632;
E. R. Vincent, in Italian Studies, X, 76-77.
E. H. Wilkins. "Reminiscence and Anticipation in the Divine Comedy." (In 55th-67th Reports [1951], 1-13. Reviewed by:
C. F., in Studi Danteschi, XXXII, Fasc. 1[1953], 173-174.
W. C. Williams. Selected Essays. (See above, p. 37.) Reviewed by:
Vivienne Koch, in Perspectives U. S. A., No. 13 (Autumn),
145-150.