The poem begins with Dante finding himself lost in a dark forest, having strayed from the "true way." He meets Virgil, who tells him that he has been sent by Beatrice, a woman Dante loves, to guide him through the afterlife.
Virgil and Dante travel through the nine circles of Hell, each of which is inhabited by different types of sinners. The circles are arranged according to the seriousness of the sins, with the worst sins being punished in the deepest circle.
The sinners in Hell are punished in various ways, each punishment being appropriate for their crimes. For example, the lustful are blown about by a violent wind, the gluttonous are forced to eat filth, and the heretics are burned at the stake.
Dante and Virgil eventually reach the bottom of Hell, where they find Satan himself. Satan is imprisoned in a frozen lake, and his three heads are gnawing on the bodies of three traitors.
Dante and Virgil then ascend from Hell and travel to Purgatory, where souls are cleansed of their sins in order to enter Heaven.
Dante's Inferno is a powerful and moving poem that has been praised for its beauty, its moral insights, and its vivid imagery. It has been translated into many languages and has been adapted into numerous works of art, music, and film.