The Divine Comedy, Italian La divina commedia, original name La commedia, long narrative poem written in Italian circa 1308-21 by Dante. It is usually held to be one of the world's great works of literature. Divided into three major sections-Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso-the narrative traces the journey of Dante from darkness and error to the revelation of the divine light, culminating in the Beatific Vision of God.