A book review of "The Inferno" by Dante Alighieri and "Dante's Inferno" by Marcus Sanders Originally posted: Oct 21, 2021 at 9:38 PM
The above incantation could serve as a springboard for a potential leveling up of my blog. You might believe the quality will be determined solely by a little introspection. But you'd be wrong.
CANTO I
Let's start here: Dante's 35 in the year 1300 AD, a good friend and fellow poet Virgil is asked to be a guide into Hell and the conversations and journey that follow turn toward the blog you've just started.
- Line 125 `Ciardi` lead me to Peter's gate and be my guide through the sad halls of Hell."
- Line 124 `Sanders` For God's sake just lead me the fuck out of this depressing darkness.
CANTO II
In this Canto, Dante tentatively questions whether he could go through with this journey or not.
- Line 37 `Ciardi` As one who unwills [what he wants] will stay behind, with feeble second thoughts until he spells his first zeal away -
I'm sure he wants nothing more than to understand why someone like him - a poet in the time of religious Italian politics - would be chosen to turn towards the guts of Earth to document the torments of Hell. I wonder if he felt some level of guilt about being "a flaky burnout Deadhead who changes his mind every two seconds," {Line 37 & 38 `Sanders`}. His reasoning is reflected against Virgil's soothing rationale, pardoning Dante's craving curiosity as not his fault. The reasoning presents itself as more than logical; its biological. Actually, it's pathological, chronic and irrational to descend to many of Hell for posterity's sake. Though curiosity is resilient in Dante, it is so we direct ourselves towards the next Canto.
CANTO III CIRCLE 1
Understanding why Dante documents Hell isn't just a thought experiment. It has practical implications. We can actively recognize that no one else in history has faced the obstacles and categorization of damnation either in fiction or "real life" comparatively. The differences in both books that I'm quoting from render clearer messages for each time period written. But also, more important, Dante's Hell is the law of symbolic retribution - as they sinned so are they punished.
As Virgil leads Dante into starless air, sucking whirlwinds and a black haze, (think of a magician throwing a smoke bomb at one's feet) Dante hears [A confusion of tongues and monstrous accents toiled in pain and anger.] {Line 24 `Ciardi`}
- Line 24 `Sanders` - There were babbling voices, rantings in different languages, sharp cries of pain and a ceaseless, relentless pounding like drums.
It's here that Virgil and Dante begin their trek against the headwinds of soulless sentiment, which in turn encourages relevant determination.
* NOTES*
You might be wondering why, emotional continuity aside, Virgil takes Dante on an empathetical trip, peering into human instincts of nostalgia, spinning long-ago memories of people Dante had known in life in further Cantos? Dante has a stronger drive to celebrate the milestones of these ghosts in effort to keep their bond ironically alive.
CANTO IV
For one, public reminiscing translates only if most people agree that something matters. Dante finds himself at the brink of a valley called the Dolorous Abyss.
- Line 22 in `Ciardi` "Now let us go, for a long road awaits us." This is pretty much the First Circle of Hell.
- Line 84 in `Sanders` It was spooky.
More often than not more critical thinking about what drives Dante's interests coming play the further down into each passing circle he and Virgil go; I suppose he wants to build a strong and lasting impression for unbaptized sinners as much as possible; who might have actually been descent people during their lives.
CANTO V CIRCLE 2
This is the Canto where it starts to get really interesting for me. Dante becomes confused and heartbroken in the stinking winds of Hell's second circle.
- Line 57 `Ciardi` and lust and law were one.
- Line 72 `Ciardi` and I was swept by pity and confusion.
- Line 84 `Ciardi` borne by the sweet desire that fills each breast -
{Line 90-93 in `Sanders` "We eventually ended up in bed when we shouldn't have. Now, we're here together in Hell just as we were united by our sin on Earth. Our love for each other led to our deaths and to our torments here," Francesca}
It reminds me so much of a Xena: Warrior Princess episode in season 5, "Fallen Angel". After her distressful and fatal crus fiction by Romans in the season 5 opener, Xena becomes both an archangel and a demon in order to save Gabrielle from the burning fires of Hell, who also becomes both demon and archangel in her own right.
- Line 100-103 in `Ciardi` [Love, which permits no loved one not to love, took me so strongly with delight in him that we are one in Hell, as we were above.]
- Line 101 & 102 `Sanders` How can they deserve this kind of punishment just for being in love with each other?
In Ciardi's own Notes of line 102 he is mindful of souls fastened so blindly into their own guilt that it's difficult for them to find any pleasure in the presence of another. It is so that they add to the other's anguish as mutual reminders of their sin and shade within the body which once felt such great passion.
Some version of that exchange has played out millions of times - in vehicles and pubs and cafes, among people of all ages and genders, in every year of human existence.
There are several more Cantos and Circles left in Hell to dissect so I will wrap up this first part of my book review here. If you'd like to read some of my past posts on Coyote Conscious, please check them out HERE
If you happen to know me on the social medias, please feel free to share this blog post on your platforms as well!
Also, here's a link to another useful resource if you wish to further understand "The Inferno"
I'm always open to questions or comments on either this blog platform, or my website.
"Your Teacher and Guide knows the truth of this."
~The ghost Francesca, in the second of Hell's circles. Line 102, Canto V
No comments:
Post a Comment