Category Archives: Posts

Refective Post 1

I noticed, upon rereading my older blog posts, that I am transfixed on the medieval context the text is set in. From notions of medieval dream sequences to the medieval notion of illness transmitting via smell and notions of queerness in the Middle Ages and how these themes play out in The Divine Comedy. I wanted to, and to some extent still do, center my understanding of the text as a porduct of the Middle Ages and apply literary theory to enhance my understanding of the text.

 

I noticed that my ideas after my first blog, especially my most recent, deploy some use of the theory in my background along side analysis of the sections of the text in question. This is because my topics have become more specialized to accomidate the use of theory and history from my training that is outside of the text. I am doing this inorder to find a topic or a range of subtopics within one topic to write my final paper on. I am considering developing my ideas on queerness and seeing sodomy in Dante’s visions of hell.

 

From reading, I also noticed how I can imporve in fleshing out my ideas more and expanding beyond a paragraph and possibly using some more in text evidence to allow for a lenghtier and indepth discussion of the text. This is something I will be working more towards in the future, espeically having a system of how to tackle my thought proccess in these blog posts. I could also imporve by using an image once in a while to imporve my arguement aswell as enrich it by using a more multi-media approach.

reflective post 1

Upon reviewing my blog posts, I have noticed that I have been mainly following the theme of remembrance through the Inferno.  With the exception of my third post, which focuses on the Old Man of Crete and Dante’s use of classical mythology, all my other posts have either directly addressed the way the act of remembrance is used in the text or alludes to it by examining the representation of sinners in comparison to their living appearance.  In my most recent post, I still follow this theme, but take it in a somewhat different direction by addressing it in relation to Dante and the Pilgrim as opposed to the sinners as I had been doing in my other posts.

As I follow this theme through the cantos, my ideas in my posts have become more complex as the theme itself expands in the text.  In my first post I commented on how some sinners are allowed to be remembered and others are not and that this act of remembrance is an act of pity and alleviates suffering.  At that early stage in the Inferno this was all clearly defined as Virgil told the Pilgrim (and the readers) which sinners could and could not be remembered and why.  However, later on this becomes more complicated as the sins become worse.  What we knew changes–being remembered can be an act of punishment, some sinners can be remembered but not by physical appearance which alters their previous identity, and in my last post I reflected on Virgil’s explanation to the Pilgrim that there are different types of remembrance (fame and infamy) for different people.  This last one ties together all the confusing and conflicting things the Pilgrim feels and describes surrounding the memory of the sinners he encounters.

I found that while I quote a lot from the Inferno, I do not often quote from outside sources like many other students do.  I did use an outside source in my post on the Old Man of Crete and I noticed that it bolsters my ideas in that post more than just quoting from Inferno does in my other posts.  I will try to incorporate more outside sources in my future posts.  I also have not used any artwork or images in my posts like I have seen many other students do.  I am not necessarily a visual learner in this way and so I did not think to try it, however I would like to try doing one of my future posts this way to see if my understanding of text can benefit from it.

Reflective post (1)

I read parts of Divine Comedy back in high school, many years ago. Since I read it in my native language I understood the words but, in truth, nothing more than that. It definitely didn’t move my mind or heart. In other words it didn’t affect me in any way, because even though I understood the language I failed to understand the rich content. It is hard to explain why it happened, but for sure it was caused by many factors like cultural background, age, lack of ability to imagine certain things, limited understanding of various concepts.

A few years forward I am reading Dante’s masterpiece again. This time around I read it in a foreign language but with more mature and more analytical mind.

I have written a few posts based on cantos I read. In these posts I elaborate on concepts, ideas or images that I found interesting or intriguing. Choosing the subject for my posts and exploring it more while reading additional notes or materials available helped me comprehend the content even better.

My first post is a form of introduction of two main characters – Dante the pilgrim and his master Virgil, the circumstances the former unexpectedly found himself in and the journey that he is about to take. My second post doesn’t focus only on the main character but also introduces two secondary characters – Ciacco and Filippo Argenti – two sinners suffering in hell. This post also describes the political situation of Florence to which Dante (Dante – the author this time) was directly connected. In my third post I mainly concentrate on Dante’s (pilgrim) feelings, emotions and state of mind while the journey continues through hell continues. This analysis of someone’s behavior requires certain analytical skills and drawing conclusions from descriptions found in the book. The fourth post pays particular attention to sinners who represent the worst form of violence (the violence against nature) – the sodomites. It describes their wrongdoing and immorality, which result in eternal and horrific punishment. In addition it presents Dante’s view on the sin of sodomy and its very negative social and spiritual consequences. The fifth post contains description of the punishment for the Panders and the Seducers but also presents clearly Dante’s condemnation of corruption in Catholic Church. In my sixth and last post I analyze the relationship between Dante and Virgil, which in fact is much deeper than the relationship between a pilgrim and his guide.

After rereading my posts and reflecting upon them I can easily draw to a conclusion that I came a long way since reading Divine Comedy back in high school

First of all, my posts are not limited to a simple description of what happens in particular cantos. I am somehow able to analyze symbols, settings, images, behaviors of characters or even writing style to determine what message is being conveyed.

Besides, I utilize images available online to make my post and its content easier to visualize.

In addition, I try to use citations from the source to provide evidence to what I am trying to convey.

On the other hand, I have to admit that my posts lack coherency and logical organization due to the fact that I choose the most appealing image or topic of my interest in a particular canto without paying attention to what I previously wrote about. But there is in fact one element present in every single post that gives them a sense of unity. It is either Dante the pilgrim with his emotions, feelings and reactions or Dante the author with his opinions, beliefs, viewpoints and judgments.

I truly realize that there are a lot of elements I need to work on while writing my posts (coherence, more research on a chosen topic using available resources, logic organization) but, all in all, doing so helps me progress in understanding the complex content of Divine Comedy.

 

 

 

Reflective Post One

I noticed after reading my blog posts that I find it difficult to pick out the central idea of each canto and being able to write about it without mentioning other specifics. I like to focus on two ideas rather than one big idea. I also have trouble picking a title for my posts because it’s not something that I normally do for other writings (which is odd to think about because pieces of writing should always include titles). I realized in my writings that I also like to analyze quotes but that’s because I’ve been taught to do this in high school and I feel it always works for me because I understand/ can interpret the text better after analyzing ideas, quotes, characters and so forth. One thing I would like to add/ improve on is including pieces of art/imagery in my posts because I have not done this in my posts, and many students do this, but I don’t. I think visuals will also help me understand the plot and central idea of each canto. I would also like to start commenting on other student’s blog post because I feel it’s an effective way of learning because it’s a type of dialogue that is occurring between two students but through writing (it’s a response and reflect type of learning). After re-reading my posts one recurrent thing I do is incorporate the plot, transitioning to what is happening in the canto transiting to quotes and analyzing the quotes but I feel this has been working for me and will continue to do this. I believe my ideas are clear and thoroughly explained which is important for both reader (other students) and writer (myself). I try to make my ideas as clear as possible compared to other students because when I read something too difficult and complex to understand it makes it harder for me to understand what the writer’s point of view is. I believe writing as simple and as clear as possible is rather difficult than easy but sometimes writing in a simpler way is better. Therefore, I try to make my sentences as clear and concise so that the idea I have in my mind transcribed into my blog posts is not only clear for the students in the class but as well as others reading my post who are not in the classroom with us. Another recurrent theme is that I like to compare and contrast cantos and tie previous cantos to the newly written cantos but doing this allows me to remember the content in a better way because as we keep reading more, I slowly forget bits and pieces, and everything is important.

 

One part I would like to comment on is from my post blog post six. I wrote “Dante is dependent upon his master not only for physical help, but also for spiritual guidance and moral support. Similar to previous cantos, Dante gains reassurance from Virgil because Virgil’s actions and words can make Dante feel serene because Dante feels the same security in Virgil as when he first met him. Instantaneously when Virgil’s anger vanishes so does Dante’s anxiety. Once Virgil gains his composure, he reveals he is capable of measuring an amount of control over his emotions. This contrasts with the way in which most of the sinners in Hell are prey to their emotions and physical desires such as anger, lust, greed, and so forth. Although Virgil is in one circle of Hell, he is only there because he is not a Christian; he is a pagan. Virgil, however, uses his willpower to master his emotions. Throughout the poem, the ability to master emotions is seen to be a uniquely human characteristic that identifies with human ability.” The reason I like this analysis is because I tied together what we learned in canto 1 about Virgil and how he is a pagan to currently what is happening in canto 24; gathering pieces from previous cantos I was able to relate it to the new content as well as including Dante’s emotion(s), because after all it’s HIS journey.

 

One thing I would like to clarify/edit is my ideas in blog post four. I write “Dante is growing over the course of his journey, learning from Virgil. Furthermore, Jacopo wants Dante to seek immortality through fame and wants Dante to live on in fame when he dies. Dante however doesn’t want this for himself but instead he seeks to reach a truer form of immortality which is salvation in heaven…” I want to clarify how Dante the pilgrim is growing over the course of his journey. However, Dante (himself, the writer) wants to reach a truer form of immortality which is salvation in Heaven. I believe as Dante the writer continues to write about Dante the pilgrim and the pilgrims journey, the more Dante (the writer) is learning  about himself and his morals through his ‘character’ form – writing helps one express ideas/ reflect on their own well-being and I think Dante (the writer) is doing this through Dante (the pilgrim).

 

Another part I would like to comment on/reflect on is when I write “Ciacco feels by having his name mentioned will allow himself to alleviate his agony. The important line in this canto written by Dante states, “And my guide said to me: “He’ll rise no more until the blast of the angelic trumpet upon the coming of the hostile Judge.” The reason this line is significant is because Virgil is referring to the last judgement; in which Christ comes down to earth to judge all human souls in which he decides who goes to purgatory (saved souls) and those who go to Hell (the damned souls). However, because the last judgement still hasn’t arrived Ciacco is punished for his gluttony because of his imprudent gratification of drinking and eating excessively, however, the contrapasso is the opposite of this.” I think this part is clearly explained because I was able to speak about thecharacter, reflect on the character by adding a quote from the text, showing the reader my interpretation directly using the text, hence adding clarification. I then explain why the line is significant and WHY the character is punished and why the specific lines chosen are important and relatable to the character. Therefore, for my next blog posts I would like to continue to write like this where my ideas are clearly written and evidently pulled from The Divine Comedy.

 

Blog post due on Monday, March 18 and announcements

This is your first reflection post. Follow the instruction on the Assignment page of our website/Blogging.

On March 20, you have to come prepared to class, that is having studied the assigned cantos (even though you haven written a blog post on those cantos). We’ll make up for the missed  post with an in-class reading questionnaire.

Late submissions won’t be accepted starting from today.

 

 

 

Dante’s Fear

Dante and Virgil are now entering the sixth pouch of the eighth circle. While they believed they had escaped the demons in the previous pouch, they now realize they are being chased by a huge pack of the Malabranche, meaning “evil claws.”

The canto seems to give the travelers a sense of uneasiness. In the beginning of the Canto, Dante seems afraid that they angered the  “Silent, alone, no one escorting us, we made our way. One went before, one went after, as Friars Minor when they walk together.” (Inferno 23, 1-3) 

Saving Dante, Virgil grabs him and jumps through the sixth pouch of the Eighth Circle with Dante in his arms. Now that they have lost the Malabranche, they are in the Sixth Pouch, where they see more souls aligned in a circle.

“And they were dressed in cloaks with cowls so low they fell before their eyes.” (Inferno 23, 76)

Dante is trying to find one of the souls now that he might recognize as he has been. Instead, he is now the one who is recognized by his Tuscan language. “Stay your steps, o you who hurry so along this darkened air!” (Inferno 23, 77)

Dante seems unsure of what will happen next, but seems to continue to symbolize his truths and emotions through the constant darkness and uncertainty of his journey with Virgil through the circles into hell. 

Virgil and Dante’s Relationship

During Canto 23, the closeness of the relationship that Dante and Virgil have developed during their journey is shown. From the second Virgil appears to Dante in canto 1, it is clear the pilgrim admired the poet. However, the source of Virgil’s concern for Dante seems mostly dependant on the fact a higher power wished it. However, during their travels through the various circles of hell, it is evident that a bond has been developed. In the start of canto 23, in lines 28-30, Virgil is able to know what Dante is feeling and worried about just by looking at him. And while theres no doubt Dante or anyone would look quite shaken having just run away from demons, it also goes to show the intimacy that has developed between the two. Virgil can recognise Dante’s concern without him having to verbalise it.
Dante has reguarly refered to Virgil as a father and master, mostly in the context of what a great inspiration to Virgil has been to him. In this canto it goes a step foward, with Dante describing motherly actions of Virgil towards him, eg. line 37-42: ‘my leader seized me quickly, like a mother who is, awakened by the noise and sees the flames burning close by, who takes up her son and flees, caring more for him than for herself, not stopping even to put on her shift:” Virgil has gone further than simply being Dante’s guide, to caring baout his safety above all else.

Sliding in haste into home of the hypocrites

 

Artist: Bartolomeo Pinelli
1825, Print, Italy
https://art.famsf.org/bartolomeo-pinelli/canto-xxiii-pl-47-linferno-di-dante-dantes-inferno-19633037283

Virgil and Dante continue their journey through the 8th circle of hell after secretly escaping from fighting devils that cause two of them fall in a pitch full of boiling tar. That situation causes the pilgrim to remember the Aesop Fable about a mouse and a deceitful frog who offered to carry a tiny animal across a river with a malicious intention of drowning him. Dante doesn’t even try to hide his overwhelming fear that enraged demons will eventually catch up to them. His agitation continues to build up making his “hairs curling with fear” (Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri, Canto XXIII, 19), which consequently creates suspense and tension. He suggests to his master to look for a hiding spot before the steamed up demons wind up at their side. Well, Dante’s intuition turns out to be very much on point because the devils appear in pursuit out of nowhere. At that very moment Virgil grabs Dante:

“… like a mother who is

awakened by the noise and sees the flames burning

close by,

who takes up her son and flees, caring more for

him than for herself, not stopping even to put on her

shift:” (Divine Comedy, Canto XXIII, 37-42)

Virgil slides down the rocky cliff with Dante in his arms straight into the sixth pouch, which is the home of hypocrites. Dante completely taken by surprise describes the speed of them moving down:

“Water has never cursed more swiftly down a

slice to turn the wheels of a land mill, as it

approaches the paddles,

than did my master down the wall, carrying

me along on his breast like his son, not his

companion.” (Divine Comedy, Canto XXIII, 46-51)

Once Virgil and Dante reach the sixth bolgia they are safe at least from the devils that chased them because they are not able to leave their assigned part of hell. Although at times devils seem to have power over damned souls in the end they are nothing but Divine’s tools eternally trapped in hell.

The scene described above, which appears a little comical to me, shows that Virgil puts Dante’s safety first. What I find even more interesting is the fact that Virgil is presented here not only as the pilgrim’s beloved master and the guide but also as a person with maternal feelings towards him.