Wicked Smart!

Greek and Latin were gradually replaced by a number of new vernacular languages, despite the Renaissance extolling the benefits of old humanities. With his iconic epic poem Divine Comedies, which takes the reader on an allegorical (and somewhat biographical) voyage through hell, purgatory, and heaven, renowned Italian poet Dante Alighieri played a crucial part in this paradigm shift.

Up until the 14th century, literature was usually only read by the upper classes of society. Writing in his local Tuscan dialect, which allowed Dante to reach a much wider audience and invent a form of proto-slang, changed all of that.

Dante, sometimes known as "Il Sommo Poeta" (the "Supreme Poet"), was a key inspiration for a number of authors, including Geoffrey Chaucer, William Butler Yates, and TS Eliot. Terza rima, a three-line rhyme scheme with interconnecting lines, was created by the illustrious Florentine, who also had an impact on the form and organization of poetry.