26 Books Written in Verse and Poetry Collections : May-June

 26 Books Series #1: 

Read 26 Books Written in Verse, 

Epic Poetry, and 

Poetry Collections in 2026

May-June

Hello! During the months of May and June, I only read one epic poem. Here's hoping I do better in the upcoming months. Happy Reading everyone!

11. Inferno (Divine Comedy #1) by Dante Alighieri- Epic Poem 

- Dante's Inferno is an old favorite that I first read in my senior year of high school. This was my fourth time revisiting the work and I highly enjoyed the audiobook I listened to which was read by James Langton. Dante is believed to have invented the poetic form that he wrote his Divine Comedy in, terza rima. This is made up of stanzas with three lines each. The first and third lines in each of the stanzas rhyme while the second does not. The second line then will rhyme with the first and third line of the stanza after it. This type of rhyme scheme is meant to continue on throughout the whole poem until the end where the poet usually will end on a one line stanza to end the rhyme. Many of the English translations of Inferno use this poetic form but many do not. 

 

"Midway upon the journey of our life

I found myself within a forest dark, 

For the straightforward pathway had been lost." - Canto I, lines 1-3

 

"All hope abandon, ye who enter in!"- Canto III, line 9