Dante Alighieri (1265 - 1321), was a major Italian poet of the Late Middle Ages. In the late Middle Ages, most poetry was written in Latin, accessible only to the most educated readers however, Dante defended use of the vernacular in literature. Dante was instrumental in establishing the literature of Italy, and his depictions of Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven provided inspiration for the larger body of Western art. He is cited as an influence on John Milton, Geoffrey Chaucer and Alfred Tennyson, among many others.