Cantos 1-34 with translations by Henry Francis Cary (1814), Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1867), and Charles Eliot Norton (1891).
Being the most popular of the three parts, the Inferno speaks for itself and functions as a complete work on its own, delivering a timeless, full narrative arc. "Any attempt to summarize its philosophical content or significance is to a certain degree an act of folly." Rather than commit such folly, I defer to this thoughtful and succinct examination from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
A background in studying French and Italian literature. Written in blank verse. One of the earliest complete English translations of the Commedia. William Blake reportedly had thought Cary's translation to be "superior to all others".
American poet and professor of Italian at Harvard College. Written in blank tercets. First complete translation by an American author. Prior to writing, the formation of the "Dante Club" in order to study the literature included amongst the group: Charles Eliot Norton.
American author and professor of Art at Harvard College. First complete prose translation of the Commedia by an American author; departing from the conventional and also intrinsic poetic structure of the original text.
I came across these websites that offer neat resources and supplementary material to Dante, The Divine Comedy and Inferno.
World of Dante - A very comprehensive study resource of the material. A+ for its web design.
Danteworlds - A very well-made interactive experience with unique commentary that is well worth reading.
Dartmouth Dante Project - Searchable database of scholarly commentaries on the Divine Comedy.
Dante Comedy - A glossary/index of names & places in the Inferno. Contains a lot more tid bits of information that is missing from here.
A Gallery of Inferno - A collection of Gustave Doré's illustrations to accompany the Inferno.
All content on this page is in the public domain - [1], [2], [3].