Dante Alighieri
Het Nieuwe Leven (La Vita Nuova)
"Het Nieuwe Leven (La Vita Nuova)" by Dante Alighieri is a prosimetrum published in 1294. This "little book" blends prose and verse to chronicle Dante's love for Beatrice from their first meeting at age nine through her death and beyond. Through commentaries on sonnets and songs, Dante transforms courtly love poetry into something sacred, seeking to write of Beatrice "that which has never been written of any woman." Written in Italian rather than Latin, this emotional autobiography marked a turning point in European poetry.