The LA VITA NUOVA POET is DANTE, an Italian poet from the Middle Ages. He is best known for his epic poem, The Divine Comedy, which is widely considered to be one of the greatest works of world literature. DANTE's other works include La Vita Nuova, a collection of lyric poems, and De Monarchia, a political treatise. DANTE is also credited with helping to establish the Tuscan dialect as the standard Italian language.