--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...[T]he three greatest works are those…" description: "\"“...[T]he three greatest works are those of Homer , Dante and Shakespeare . These are closely followed by the works of Virgil and Milton .”\" — Joseph D..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e96/joseph-devlin-30655_dante_t-he-three-greatest-works-are-those-of-h_1915452.jpg" --- # ...\[T\]he three greatest works are those of Homer , Dante… ![“...[T]he three greatest works are those of Homer , Dante and Shakespeare . These are closely followed by the works of Virgil and Milton .” quote by Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e96/joseph-devlin-30655_dante_t-he-three-greatest-works-are-those-of-h_1915452.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e96/joseph-devlin-30655_dante_t-he-three-greatest-works-are-those-of-h_1915452.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e96/joseph-devlin-30655_dante_t-he-three-greatest-works-are-those-of-h_1915452.jpg) > ““...\[T\]he three greatest works are those of Homer , Dante and Shakespeare . These are closely followed by the works of Virgil and Milton .”” [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The three greatest literary works are by Homer, Dante, and Shakespeare, followed closely by Virgil and Milton, highlighting their lasting influence on Western literature. **In simple terms:** Homer, Dante, Shakespeare are top, then Virgil and Milton. Key Takeaway Study these authors to understand foundational literary themes. Themes literature canon influence history education Mood analytical scholarly critical Type academic educational historical When to use this quote - university curricula - literary analysis - creative writing - public lectures - book clubs Key Concepts epic poetry theology dramatic structure language evolution Questions to Reflect On - Which modern work challenges this canon? - How can diverse voices reshape literary hierarchies? A Different Perspective May ignore contributions of non-Western literature. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dante/) [Dante-alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dante-alighieri-2/) [John-milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/john-milton-2/) [Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shakespeare/) ## Related quotes > [“Milton was the gold standard of religious poets for English and American scholars. But Milton wrote of Hell and Heaven from above and below,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-pearl/milton-was-the-gold-standard-of-religious-poets-for-english-and/) [Matthew Pearl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-pearl/) > [“No, never mind, I didn't think so. Mead, Dante's theme is man-not a man.' Lowell said finally with a mild patience that he reserved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-pearl/no-never-mind-i-didn-t-think-so-mead-dante-s-theme-is-man-not-a-man/) [Matthew Pearl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-pearl/) > [After Homer and Dante, is a whole century of creating worth one Shakespeare?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/after-homer-and-dante-is-a-whole-century-of-creating-worth-one/) [Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/) > [“But first whom shall we send In search of this new world, whom shall we find Sufficient? Who shall tempt, with wand'ring feet The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/but-first-whom-shall-we-send-in-search-of-this-new-world-whom-shall/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [“ALL WHO HAVE THEIR REWARD ON EARTH, THE FRUITS OF PAINFUL SUPERSTITION AND BLIND ZEAL, NOUGHT SEEKING BUT THE PRAISE OF MEN, HERE FIND…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/all-who-have-their-reward-on-earth-the-fruits-of-painful-superstition-2/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [“He was, as every truly great poet has ever been, a good man; but finding it impossible to realize his own aspirations, either in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-was-as-every-truly-great-poet-has-ever-been-a-good-man-but-finding/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Blake said Milton was a true poet and of the Devil's party without knowing it. I am of the Devil's party and know it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/blake-said-milton-was-a-true-poet-and-of-the-devil-s-party-without/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [“Thus Milton refines the question down to a matter of faith," said Coleridge, bringing the lecture to a close, "and a kind of faith…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-powers/thus-milton-refines-the-question-down-to-a-matter-of-faith-said/) [Tim Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-powers/) > [ “Milton's learned vocabulary \[...\] and his distant perspectives, represent the authoritative unintelligibility of the parents' speech as heard by the child.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-broadbent/milton-s-learned-vocabulary-and-his-distant-perspectives-represent/) John Broadbent > [“A broad and ample road, whose dust is gold, And pavement stars—as starts to thee appear Soon in the galaxy, that milky way Which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton-paradise-lost/a-broad-and-ample-road-whose-dust-is-gold-and-pavement-stars-as/) John Milton Paradise Lost > [“Thou at the sight Pleased, out of Heaven shalt look down and smile, While by thee raised I ruin all my foes, Death last,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/thou-at-the-sight-pleased-out-of-heaven-shalt-look-down-and-smile/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [“He would have been half-hanged, taken down alive, castrated, his genitals stuffed in his mouth, his stomach slit open, and his intestines taken out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-broadbent/he-would-have-been-half-hanged-taken-down-alive-castrated-his/) John Broadbent > [“There are souls beneath that water. Fixed in slime they speak their piece, end it, and start again: 'Sullen were we in the air…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/there-are-souls-beneath-that-water-fixed-in-slime-they-speak-their/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [“Inferno was for learning about the nature of our sins. Purgatorio is for learning how to overcome our tendencies to fall victim to them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-dreher/inferno-was-for-learning-about-the-nature-of-our-sins-purgatorio-is/) [Rod Dreher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-dreher/) > [“What about the motorcycle parts?" "Those belong to my sort-of boyfriend. He's in Italy right now, visiting his family, and I like to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-richardson/what-about-the-motorcycle-parts-those-belong-to-my-sort-of-boyfriend/) [Kat Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-richardson/) ## More by Joseph Devlin > [“The English language is the tongue now current in England and her colonies throughout the world and also throughout the greater part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/the-english-language-is-the-tongue-now-current-in-england-and-her/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) > [“subjects. Directions. CHAPTER XIII CHOICE OF WORDS”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/subjects-directions-chapter-xiii-choice-of-words/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) > [Shakespeare was not a scholar in the sense we regard the term to-day, yet no man ever lived or probably ever will live that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/shakespeare-was-not-a-scholar-in-the-sense-we-regard-the-term-to-day/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) > [“Every person of intelligence should be able to use his mother tongue correctly. It only requires a little pains, a little care, a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/every-person-of-intelligence-should-be-able-to-use-his-mother-tongue/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) > [There is an old Latin quotation in regard to the poet which says 'Poeta nascitur non fit' the translation of which is- the poet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/there-is-an-old-latin-quotation-in-regard-to-the-poet-which-says/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) > [“The greatest scholar alive hasn't more than four thousand different words at his command, and he never has occasion to use half the number.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/the-greatest-scholar-alive-hasn-t-more-than-four-thousand-different/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) > [“In employing the long sentence the inexperienced writer should not strain after the heavy, ponderous type. Johnson and Carlyle used such a type, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/in-employing-the-long-sentence-the-inexperienced-writer-should-not/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) > [A child can learn what is right as easy as what is wrong and whatever impressions are made on the mind when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/a-child-can-learn-what-is-right-as-easy-as-what-is-wrong-and-whatever/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) > [“plural is generally formed from the singular by the addition of s or es.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/plural-is-generally-formed-from-the-singular-by-the-addition-of-s-or/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) > [“ Every person of intelligence should be able to use his mother tongue correctly . It only requires a little pains, a little care,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/every-person-of-intelligence-should-be-able-to-use-his-mother-tongue-2/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) > [“In order to speak and write the English language correctly, it is imperative that the fundamental principles of the Grammar be mastered, for no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/in-order-to-speak-and-write-the-english-language-correctly-it-is/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) > [“Homeward the ploughman plods his weary way. The ploughman plods his weary way homeward. Plods homeward the ploughman his weary way. His weary way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/homeward-the-ploughman-plods-his-weary-way-the-ploughman-plods-his/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) > [“In the works of Shakespeare , the most wonderful genius the world has ever known, there is the enormous number of 15,000 different words,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/in-the-works-of-shakespeare-the-most-wonderful-genius-the-world-has/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) > [To use a big word or a foreign word when a small one and a familiar one will answer the same purpose, is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/to-use-a-big-word-or-a-foreign-word-when-a-small-one-and-a-familiar/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) > [“ Shakespeare used the word 'flush' to indicate plenty of money. Well, just remember there was only one Shakespeare , and he was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/shakespeare-used-the-word-flush-to-indicate-plenty-of-money-well-just/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) [Explore all 17 Joseph Devlin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) ## More Dante quotes > [“Kerry pretended to ignore Dante”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-humphreys/kerry-pretended-to-ignore-dante/) [Sara Humphreys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-humphreys/) > [“So she was to be savagely heartbroken and then poisoned by one of their cook’s noxious herbal brews in the space of a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-anne-long/so-she-was-to-be-savagely-heartbroken-and-then-poisoned-by-one-of/) [Julie Anne Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-anne-long/) > [Whenever we start making a 'Devil May Cry' game, one thing we think about is, 'What new weapons are we going to have for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideaki-itsuno/whenever-we-start-making-a-devil-may-cry-game-one-thing-we-think/) [Hideaki Itsuno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideaki-itsuno/) > [“To say she is only a woman is to say a violin is a piece of wood with strings, and Dante is mere ink…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-crown/to-say-she-is-only-a-woman-is-to-say-a-violin-is-a-piece-of-wood-with/) [Bruce Crown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-crown/) > [“Bourbon, Kentucky bourbon especially, is like Dante’s Inferno in a glass, fire walks down your throat, lungs, and heart and everything in between with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-crown/bourbon-kentucky-bourbon-especially-is-like-dante-s-inferno-in-a/) [Bruce Crown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-crown/) > [“In this trunk," she says with a serious face, "is God's gift to women." "Chocolate?" "No." "Midol?" "What? No." "Tampons?" "Stop guessing," she says.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-scott/in-this-trunk-she-says-with-a-serious-face-is-god-s-gift-to-women/) [Victoria Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-scott/) > [“Step one: Invade your opponet's mind. This is just like using mind-speak. Try it on me." "That's easy," I said, casting my mental nets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-fitzpatrick/step-one-invade-your-opponet-s-mind-this-is-just-like-using-mind/) [Becca Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-fitzpatrick/) > [“Dante's poem, Langdon was now reminded, was not so much about the misery of hell as it was about the power of the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/dante-s-poem-langdon-was-now-reminded-was-not-so-much-about-the/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [“I'm not afraid of death…I'm afraid of life without you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvonne-woon/i-m-not-afraid-of-death-i-m-afraid-of-life-without-you/) [Yvonne Woon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvonne-woon/) > [“I have this idea that the reason we have dreams is that we're thinking about things that we don't know we're thinking about-and those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-alire-s-enz/i-have-this-idea-that-the-reason-we-have-dreams-is-that-we-re/) [Benjamin Alire Sáenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-alire-s-enz/) > [“You don’t know who you’re fucking with, princess. Ain’t no one do bad like I do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-scott/you-don-t-know-who-you-re-fucking-with-princess-ain-t-no-one-do-bad/) [Victoria Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-scott/) > [“As lost as I get, I will find you, Heather. Always" - Dante”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-phoenix/as-lost-as-i-get-i-will-find-you-heather-always-dante/) [Adrian Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-phoenix/) > [“Everyone loves a comedy, my dear. It is divine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rawi-hage/everyone-loves-a-comedy-my-dear-it-is-divine/) [Rawi Hage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rawi-hage/) > [“I glanced at Magnus so we could continue our walk side by side and saw that his eyes were still on Dante. And Dante’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloane-kennedy/i-glanced-at-magnus-so-we-could-continue-our-walk-side-by-side-and/) [Sloane Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloane-kennedy/) > [“You‘re my best friend. You‘re the only somebody I got.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-suede/you-re-my-best-friend-you-re-the-only-somebody-i-got/) [Damon Suede](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-suede/) [Browse all 205 Dante quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dante/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“...[T]he three greatest works are those of Homer , Dante and Shakespeare . These are closely followed by the works of Virgil and Milton .”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joseph Devlin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/t-he-three-greatest-works-are-those-of-homer-dante-and-shakespeare/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dante" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/t-he-three-greatest-works-are-those-of-homer-dante-and-shakespeare/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e96/joseph-devlin-30655_dante_t-he-three-greatest-works-are-those-of-h_1915452.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e96/joseph-devlin-30655_dante_t-he-three-greatest-works-are-those-of-h_1915452.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e96/joseph-devlin-30655_dante_t-he-three-greatest-works-are-those-of-h_1915452.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“...[T]he three greatest works are those of Homer , Dante and Shakespeare . These are closely followed by the…” — Joseph Devlin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Joseph Devlin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“...[T]he three greatest works are those...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/t-he-three-greatest-works-are-those-of-homer-dante-and-shakespeare/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/t-he-three-greatest-works-are-those-of-homer-dante-and-shakespeare/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```