The Kiss

The great Italian poet, Dante, dedicated most of his poetry and almost all of his life to Beatrice Portinari, his first love. When he first caught sight of Beatrice at the age of nine, he is quoted as saying, "From that time forward, Love quite governed my soul." Dante glorified Beatrice in his masterpiece, "La Divina Commedia" (The Divine Comedy). His works also include "La Vita Nuova," a collection of prose and lyrics celebrating Beatrice and ideal love.