/lit/ - Literature

Agreed.

1. Shakespeare
2. Milton
3. Spenser
4. Melville
5. Browning
6. Swinburne
7. Blake
8. Philip Sidney
9. Thomas Middleton
10. Matthew Arnold

>Better than Dante
Anglos are delusional

>>19543239
it’s impossible to compare two writers of different languages.

ESL so his supposed mastery of the language is lost on me. Without this his stories and themes seem pretty mediocre desu.

>>19543239
>“Front and center here, Grizzly and Hellken,” he began to order them. “You too, Deaddog. Curlybeard, take charge of a squad of ten.
>Take Grafter and Dragontooth along with you. Pigtusk, Catclaw, Cramper, and Crazyred. Keep a sharp lookout on the boiling glue

>>19543261
I guess life itself is mediocre

>>19543261
>stories and themes
Who cares lol

>>19543239
He did write a lot more stuff and his best writing is as good as any of Dante's. He doesnt have anything as impressive as the DC, as in a single work, but that's a slightly different question.

These rankings are always silly anyway. They're both absolute geniuses.

>>19543261
At least you’re honest. Many ESLs would pretend they could understand it, when most natives don’t have a clue.
What you have to remember is that he was a playwright, the themes and plot is heavily reliant on what could be practically portrayed on a stage.

>>19543258
Honestly this, IDK why people are obsessed with doing so

>>19543186
Thomas Browne and Dante say hi

>>19543330
-> >>19543264

>>19543261
It isn't about the language

>>19543264
>translation, and a poor one at that
you tried

>>19544258
>Ciardi is a poor translation
Absolute copery from Dantecels

>>19543342
>>19544258

>>19544266
>What, you egg? [Stabs him]
...

>>19543186
>As Dante, the Italian man, was sent into our world to embody musically the Religion of the Middle Ages, the Religion of our Modern Europe, its Inner Life; so Shakspeare, we may say, embodies for us the Outer Life of our Europe as developed then, its chivalries, courtesies, humors, ambitions, what practical way of thinking, acting, looking at the world, men then had. As in Homer we may still construe Old Greece; so in Shakspeare and Dante, after thousands of years, what our modern Europe was, in Faith and in Practice, will still be legible. Dante has given us the Faith or soul; Shakspeare, in a not less noble way, has given us the Practice or body. This latter also we were to have; a man was sent for it, the man Shakspeare. Just when that chivalry way of life had reached its last finish, and was on the point of breaking down into slow or swift dissolution, as we now see it everywhere, this other sovereign Poet, with his seeing eye, with his perennial singing voice, was sent to take note of it, to give long-enduring record of it. Two fit men: Dante, deep, fierce as the central fire of the world; Shakspeare, wide, placid, far-seeing, as the Sun, the upper light of the world. Italy produced the one world-voice; we English had the honor of producing the other.
-From his lecture The Hero As Poet. Dante: Shakespeare.

>>19544281
>we English
Carlyle was Scottish.

>>19544271
Hm, let’s see, literal Chris Chan level writing on part from Dante in his poem about hell, or a paid murderer killing off a noble’s kid with his speech indicating his juvenile and violent manner… this one is difficult

I'm 19 years old.

I am handsome, smart, athletic and virile.

I have a novel that is in it's final editing stage, and a creative writing professor at my college has read the first draft and thinks it's saleable.

I have a girlfriend who is confident, articulate, playful and spontaneous.

I have a small group of interesting friends from different social and academic backgrounds, and I also have many other acquaintances who see me as a reliable source of humour and good company.

Both my parents are alive and in good health.

I have no regrets.

I have already experienced three existential crises, the latter of which was described as having the depth and profundity of a man twice my age.

I am a passionate lover, a sharp thinker, and a trader of witty repartee.

I am not self-pitying, meek or needlessly humble.

I will live a good life at your expense.

>>19544349
Ok

>>19544345
>reading a translation
>thinks his opinion matters
You faggots are really something

>>19544359
You’re right, I’m sure Ciardi came up with those names himself. I’m sure in Italian the demons have names that aren’t befitting cartoon characters. No doubt about that

>Blocks your path

>>19544343
He means the English language.

>>19544367
Everything sounds better in Italian, yes.

>>19544345
>Chris-Chan level writing
I spit on you for comparing Chris-Chan's puerile vidya fanfic to Dante's profoundly beautiful (in Italian of course) philosophical and religious meditation of encyclopedic proportions. You are a nigger incapable of doing anything further than a surface-level reading of anything. Go back to your philistine-tier 20th century wank fest novels you oh so love you subhuman baboon.
>>19544349
This isn't funny. You sound like a homosexual. Kill yourself.

>>19543186
Gave new metaphors to old commonplaces. At least he's better than Milton.

>>19543404
Of course it's about the language. Every Bardolator under the sun goes on and on about the fact that Shakespeare is so great because of his god like metaphors and overall abilities as a word smith.

You can also try to assert something about his deep characters but in truth his characters aren't all that deep and the philosophy he inserts into them is pretty surface level and nothing too different from what others at the time were doing.

>>19543186
Shakespeare will always be better than Shakespeare.

Danke.

>>19543186
I like Cervantes better, I feel like he is more intelligent, smarter

>>19544680
How can you feel someone is more intelligent than someone that doesn’t even necessarily exist

>>19543198
Good fuck just learn another language you dumb fucking gorilla mutt nigger.

>>19543186
My favorite writer was honest.

>We always date ourselves by our admirations. As soon as we cite anyone but Homer or Shakespeare, we risk seeming old-fashioned or dotty.

Cioran, Anathemas and Admirations

>>19544359
>>19544418
>I s-swear guys, it's really awesome in this dying irrelevant language!
Nobody cares, thirdie. Shakespeare is and always will be the GOAT.

>>19543186
>Shakespeare is better than Shakespeare
I guess you're technically right, He gets more genius with each re-reading.