Purgatorio

Hosted by Chris Piuma and Suzanne Conklin Akbari

Close to the top, we reached a point from where
I saw a gate...

...and I saw
the silent figure of someone on guard.

I slowly raised my eyes: I saw that he
was sitting on the highest step, his face
too splendid for my eyes—I looked away!

And in his hand he held a naked sword;
so dazzling were the rays reflected thence,
each time I tried to look I could not see.

...

Falling devoutly at his holy feet,
in mercy’s name I begged to be let in;
but, first of all, three times I smote my breast.

Then with his sword he traced upon my brow
the scars of seven P’s. “Once entered here,
be sure you cleanse away these wounds,” he said.

Dante’s Divine Comedy continues with Purgatorio , in which the poet explores Purgatory. As he climbs this terraced mountain with his guides, he will learn about the seven deadly sins, and talk with people who are working through their problems. Eventually he will reach the top of the island—the Garden of Eden—and reencounter his beloved Beatrice, who will be his guide through the final section of the poem, Paradiso (which we’ll probably do next year). Also, Chris and Suzanne take this opportunity to talk about ekphrasis—the depiction of one medium of art in another medium (such as a description of a painting).

34. Purgatorio.

The Spouter-Inn The second part of Dante’s Divine Comedy, Purgatorio. More episodes

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Show Notes.

The Inferno as translated by Mark Musa [Bookshop] or Charles Singleton. Also available free online in Allen Mandelbaum’s translation (with useful notes by Teodolinda Barolini) at Digital Dante.

Our episodes on the first part of the Divine Comedy, Inferno, and on Virgil’s epic poem, the Aeneid.

Statius.

This article by Suzanne begins with a medieval map of the cosmos.

Alan of Lille’s Sermon on the Intelligible Sphere is in this collection.

Sandow Birk’s, Gustave Doré’s, and William Blake’s illustrations for the Divine Comedy.

A collection of other illustrations of the Commedia, including a map of Purgatory.

Next: Eden Robinson: Monkey Beach [Sadly, not available on Bookshop].

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