“Ok, remember this,” a friend said, “the first time through, you won’t understand anything and won’t get anything out of it.” He was telling me about his favorite book, The Divine Comedy. This did not sound like an excellent recommendation. I chuckled. He continued to advocate. “Did you like coffee on the first cup?” I shook my head. He continued through many other things that were acquired tastes. The point was clear. The question was not about the work; rather, it was about whether the hard work was worth it. He promised that it was. So, with fear and a slight trembling, I started my first trip through Hell with the Florentine poet who would become a friend. The effort is real, but it is worth it. I promise.

I got some enjoyment from my first reading of Dante’s Comedy, but it was overwhelming. It measured me, and it found me lacking. I was not ready to be a disciple. The second time through was challenging. (Every time through is.) But, like coffee, the taste, once acquired, becomes something like making the analog world digital. It helps you to see things in ways that were impossible before you followed Virgil and his charge through the realms of the ice-cold absence of love, which we call the Inferno.

I will give hints on how to love Dante for teachers and then three ways teachers and parents can make The Comedy winsome to their students.

The path is challenging, but it’s worth it. I promise.

There are three ways for teachers and parents to love The Divine Comedy (to be completed before teaching it if at all possible):

Way 1: See the Challenge and Understand What You’re After

Most good books are easy to like. Dostoevsky had me hooked at the first line of Notes from the Underground. I memorized the first lines without trying to because they were so jarring. Melville had me at “Call me Ishmael.” They are trying to please the reader and make him turn the page. Dante is after more. He wants to grow you up. His work measures you. Understanding it gives you a passing knowledge of so much that preceded it.

Embrace the challenge. (When you are teaching, make this clear for the students.) Understanding The Comedy is an accomplishment. That accomplishment leads to enjoyment, but the work precedes the joy. But the joy is coming. I promise!

Way 2: Cheat, Cheat, Cheat

Don’t you hate when an essay in the Omnibus book spoils the end of a novel? I don’t go on for long without grieving about a few chapters. The first line should be: “Read this essay only after you have finished the book.” Dante is not like this. You should know what he is trying to do before you read the canto (chapter). I would read the introduction notes, then read the notes after the canto, then the canto, and finally read the notes at the end again. The point of The Comedy is not to catch you off guard. You sort of know the plot before you start. You should read helps before reading the chapter to concentrate on what’s happening and think about why Dante made these choices.

Way 3: Read Three Times Before You Teach

This is only possible for some, but it will make a big difference if you can. Dante wants you to follow him. Your students are going to need you to be their guide. It would be best if you could, with a clear conscience, be the one saying that you have a sense that the hard work is worth it. You can promise.

Additional Hint: Audio Books Don’t Work for Early Reads

I know that this is popular with some students. I am not against audiobooks. I love them. Eventually, you can listen to Dante, but the notes are as important as the canto during the first few reads.

Here are ways that you can help your students love Dante:

Method 1: Teach Backwards

An Omnibus teacher often has the student read the chapter, and then the class is ready to discuss it. That is the usual way to approach a book. The Comedy should be handled differently. Please unpack the readings before sending them to the canto. Tell them what to look for and where to find the answers. Give them the discussion questions in advance. After they read the canto, review the questions together and see what they got from the text.

Method 2: Read Aloud

Read Dante aloud—especially during the first few readings if you can. You will understand the text better if you look at it, say it, and hear it. Read as a class if possible. If not, ask the students to read the book aloud at home.

Method 3: Read Slowly and Enjoy the Aesthetics

Dante is not made to race through. It is not a cheap sandwich spit out of a vending machine. It is a feast. It is meant to be savored. Go slow. Dig into the characters and contemplate their actions. See the differences. Linger over characters like the heretic Farinata (Inferno 10). So many shades in Hell want to talk with Dante and send messages back to the world of the living with him. Farinata was a great man in his day. All looked up to Dante. Dante speaks to him respectfully. Farinata, given the chance to talk with Dante, quickly waves him off and returns to his burning casket. What does Farinata’s dismissal of Dante tell you about the sin of heresy? What does the punishment tell you about how Dante understands the sin of heresy? Where do we see this same sin in the world today?

Extra Credit 1: Finding Doré

I am not talking about Nemo’s friend. I am talking about Gustav Doré, the great French artist whose 19th-century art has become one of the greatest to use with The Comedy. They can be found on the World of Dante website. You can use these after reading the canto to see if the text fits the art or to argue about whether Dore’ got things right or wrong.

Extra Credit 2: Care Less about Comprehension than Completion

Reading Dante is not easy, but it is worth it. Many of the Great Books are like this. They are demanding. Austen makes you develop the ability to infer from the text. I have heard people say that all of the meanings in Austen are between the lines. So true! So worth mastering. Dante is a step up from this. I’m not sure anyone can master The Comedy; scholars are still arguing about the meaning of many parts of this great work. Dante looks up into the sky and talks about the constellations, expecting you to know or figure out the date when the stars would have been arranged that way in the year 1300. That is asking a lot of you.

If you can live up to those expectations, you are becoming wise.

If you can understand why Dante wants you to be this sort of person, you are becoming mature. If you can delight in this challenge, you are ready to be useful in other significant challenges.

It is worth it. I promise.