The document provides background information on Dante Alighieri and his epic poem Divine Comedy. It was written between 1307-1321 and is set in the year 1300. The poem uses an allegorical framework where Dante acts as the protagonist guiding the reader through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. It employs terza rima rhyme scheme and depicts Dante's journey as a metaphor for man's pursuit of knowledge and understanding on the path towards God.