Reflective Post

As I revisited my previous posts, I’ve noticed that my analysis requires more content than quality. To my knowledge, I don’t see a real concrete thought process when dealing with these assignments. I deal with this posts without any cognitive process, and if I apply more planning into writing my analysis about these cantos then I can further enlighten myself and the audience. Honestly, on my first post it was difficult for me write about the image to the referred canto. It’s been a long time since I’ve had to write about an artist’s piece, so I don’t know how to go about contemplating on what the piece represents.  This is why i tend to stick with just textual analysis. In my opinion, It is easier to come up with a strategy to translate my ideas into writing.

As I continue on this course, I hoped to utilize many literary theories to help me make sense of Dante’s text. Before, at the start of this course I’ve stated about my fascination on the damned in Dante’s Inferno to which drove me to enroll this class. Now I’ve realized that Dante’s Inferno has more to offer than what I initially thought.  Some of what Dante’s talks about with the damned sometimes reflects what’s going on in today’s world in terms of corruption and morality themes.

Reflection 1

When one embarks on a hermeneutical journey of a great text, especially to that of the Divine Comedy, one is bound to confront the puzzlement of interpreting and analyzing the text. Certainly, one must read, and one must also write, in order to make an attempt to understand the text. For the comedy, it is a literary work of pedagogy that presents a well-rounded, cohesive, sets of classical ideas derived from liberal education that ranges from philosophy, mythology, theology, painting, politics, religion, and poetry. If we are only to read the text in our inner voice or out loud to our self, we are treating the text as a form of dogmatic study. I certainly do find the beauty and the challenge of coming to class to explicate my analysis on a particular theme or idea in the cantos. And indeed, whatever one is spewing out onto the open classroom initiates the reciprocation of interpretation, like when different perspectives of textual analysis are being cross-examined. In the open classroom, new ideas are being born, and instructors and students are all contributing their method of how certain implicit elements come into play and building upon each other’s ideas with their proposed textual evidence and explanation.

Lest we forget that the Divine Comedy should be approached in a holistic manner, by this mean, there is equal merit in analyzing each facet of the liberal education. For example, my treatment of the text tends to gravitate to philosophy and mythology. For once, I was fascinated by the iconography of ascension and the cosmos and its underlying philosophical connection to stoicism. And also, I was eager to find if there is any highlighting connection between the theory of social contract put forth by Thomas Hobbes and why Florence was a discordant city-state at that time. These ideas and other similar ones were composed in a collective class journal that every student can read and comment. For one to derive pleasure in one’s writing, is one just to write for the sake of one. However, we must pretend to acknowledge that our instructor and students are an ignorant layman who has never read the text, and whatever experimental interpretation we have must be subjected to the sterilization of lucidity. It is foolish to start to analyze about metamorphosis in depth when the writer hasn’t even begun to give a proper introduction to the term. I must be frank that I’ve committed such mistake of assuming that the audience knows what I am explicating about.

Since this is an open collective class journal, we certainly do want to be considerate by communicating in a way that is effective and contributing. Although we are not writing an academic paper on this forum, we should treat our written delivery of it as such. If we are explicating our interpretation in the class, it is more acceptable to make a mistake on the fallibility and the delivery of the explication. But if are writing about it on the collective class journal, there is less room for errors, and there is no excuse as to the poor development of one’s idea. Therefore, our instructor points out our mistakes sharply before the students notice it. I reckon that some students express a slight annoyance because the comments that the instructor gave might be too much criticism on their grammar or idea development. But I do want to emphasize one point, which is to find the true lesson of what the text means to you in whatever way, regardless of caring too much about performing poorly on the class journal. One should interpret the comedy by, drawing out on any implicit element that might sound outrageous or out of touch. And that we should risk being wrong, rather than not making any thoughtful interpretation at all. As long as there is an innate attraction for that interpretation, finding evidence of it to support the claim will be a job that certainly requires the pleasure of mental stimulation.

 

Reflection #1: My Past Commentary and Thoughts

When reflecting on my first post on Canto III and the posts that follow after, I cannot find any specific trend in my posts. I do not seem to fall into a niche when posting about a selective reading, rather I first tend to say what particularly interests me and why; often making a contemporary analysis in relation to our current social atmosphere. I also never reread my writing before submitting which makes my arguments unclear. Furthermore, progressing throughout the cantos and our course discussions allowed for me to take on different perspectives on how to read the poetry. I realized that language in poetry is very important and often, when read carefully, provides deeper meaning in relation to the material. In the more recent readings I’ve begun to analyze why Dante (the writer) chooses to construct the inferno the way that he does. I do not believe that anything read thus far has been a gimmick. Then, I noticed that Dante often ironically assigns crime to punishment effectively. This means that each punishment alone may be enough to allow the reader to guess the crime that entails it.

Furthermore, I need to interact with the characters on a deeper level and understand their respective stories. Once I can understand cantos in their entirety, I will be able to reflect better with the story and be more insightful.

Reflective Post One

In blog post one, it was solely a narration of what happened in the first canto. By post 6, I focused much more on a theme in the canto. However, this could still use more work. I tend to only uses a few lines from the canto to illustrate what I am arguing, which is not enough. Additionally, I do not draw enough from other resources available. Having other sources would be a good way of reinforcing my points. I should also look into arguing against what other people have written, if I do not agree with them.

Some of my blog post examine the same ideas as other students, however they usually take a different view on the topics.

Blog post 1 and 5, I used art in my analysis, both from the Yates Thompson 36 Manuscript. I enjoyed doing these two posts the most, as I feel comparing and contrasting how I image the scenes, and how artists have seen them, very interesting. The artworks from this manuscript in particular, I think are very good to examine as they show a progression, from left to right, they illustrate most of the scene.

There is a pattern in most of my posts. I start my stating my argument, then going to further depth about what this argument is, using a few quotes from the canto, analyzing these quotes, then a very brief summary. At first I thought the topics I address have all been very different, but looking back I notice I usually write of how Dante views certain sinners and their actions. I write whether he shows the sinners pity or distain, whether he writes of their punishment as fair or unjust.

I feel I could improve my posts if I just spent more time developing them, through reading other sources, other students’ posts etc, rather than only using the cantos and myself as the only source.

Reflective Post #1

Reflecting on the previous posts I’ve written, I’ve noticed several patterns. One pattern, for example, is a thematic recurrence. I often discuss or reference Dante’s reactions to the souls and the events that take place in Hell or the situations and exchanges he engages in with the souls even when the main focus of the post does not center around this topic. In the post, Farinata’s Attitude in Hell, in which the attitude of a soul who is still preoccupied with the notion of social status is discussed, I noted, “Despite his circumstances, throughout the entire canto, Farinata’s demeanor is calm and collected unlike Dante’s past encounters in which the souls are either sorrowful and pitiful or attempt to put Dante’s life in peril.” Here, it is evident that while the subject of this sentence focuses on Farinata’s bearing, it is used as a comparison to the meetings that Dante has with the other souls. Another example of referencing Dante’s sentiments while the post focuses on another topic is in the previous post entitled “Evil Tail’s Clever Deceit”. In this post, the focus is on the scene where Virgil boldly deals with a group of devils who ultimately end up deceiving him. The clever manner in which they trick Virgil is then connected to the effects it has on Dante. Considering that Dante depends solely on Virgil as his guide, it is understandable that I included this connection in order to make my point. As an example, I notice that, “Although Dante has faith in Virgil’s intelligence and ability to deal with the creatures of Hell, he does not wish to forget this moment for the sake of eluding danger which Virgil fails to do so in canto 21.” Noticably, here, I am taking into consideration Dante’s belief that Virgil is capable of effectively dealing with Hell’s demons while ending the sentence with a change in focus. The change refers back to the central topic of the post which is Virgil’s failure to keep Dante safe in canto 21.

Furthermore, there is another thematic element that is discussed more than once: the constant evolution of Dante’s reactions to the souls. This is clearly illustrated in reflecting on the second post, “Filippo Argenti: The Daring Soul” and the fifth post, “Dante v.s. Pope Nicholas III”. Both posts mention the change in Dante’s response to the discussions he has with the souls. The Filippo Argenti post states, “In past Cantos, Dante would show pity towards souls who would share their stories with him…Here, Dante convey disgust and alarm at Argenti’s daring behavior…” Meanwhile, in the fifth post, I note, “Dante’s reproach is ultimately harsh, blunt and straightforward…In past cantos, the majority of his reactions consist of sorrowful pity or fear.” Evidently, according to these posts, I find it quite interesting that Dante sympathizes strongly with the souls to the point that he even faints. However, in both posts I note this reaction in comparison to the new emotions that he portrays such as disgust or reproach. I believe I focus on this theme consistently because it is important to keep track of the emotional roller coaster that Dante is on. Without following the evolution of Dante’s sentiments as he progresses into the deeper and darker pits of Hell, it would be difficult to understand why he narrates the poem in a certain manner with different linguistic techniques or the different aspects of his relationship with Virgil. Both of these things connect to Dante’s emotions because they are codependent and are crucial to Dante’s physical and mental journey.

I also notice that I have used images in every post excluding the previous one. However, for the most part, I do not discuss the analysis of the text in connection to how the scenes are reflected in those images. I believe, going forward, this would be a useful technique to add to the upcoming posts because it allows for an analysis of how the vivid text is brought to life in a manner that allows me to visualize the harrowing events in Hell.

 

Reflective Post 1

I noticed an evolution in my writing style, I initially relied on background information to draw my analysis but now I rely more on rhetorical devices and especially the syntax of the sentence.

In the beginning, I relied on historical background to analyze the characters and the purpose of the canto. During our first class, the discussion was primarily about all the novels and short stories related to the Inferno. Most of the students are upper class men that have already taken other literary courses and are well-versed with the context of the novel. Originally, I felt left out from the discussion because compared to everyone else, I didn’t have much prior knowledge about the topic. In my early posts, I made a special effort to focus on how Dante’s time period influenced his writings. In my second canto, I analyze Dante’s encounter with Ciacco as a strife between the Guelfs and the Ghibellines. In my second post I write, “Ciacco foreshadows that after 3 years or “three suns,” the Black Guelphs will regain control of Florence while the White Guelphs, including Dante who was an active prior (White Guelph leader) will fall.” I analyze Ciacco’s sentence by breaking the sentence into fragments and connecting it to the historical significance behind those words. For example, I knew that the “3 suns” actually refers to how the Ghibellines come into power again after 3 years. I use the background information to draw the conclusion that Ciacco is foreshadowing Dante’s exile. I strongly believe that the background information provides clarity to Dante’s arrangement of the canto and hints at his personal life. Thus, in my first few cantos, I used extensive background information to get a feel for the structure of the cantos.

In my 3rd post, I’m able to use both background imagery and rhetorical analysis to enhance my argument. I address that Dante defines heresy as the belief that soul is mortal and dies with the body. I use background knowledge to explain why Farinata is a heretic. For example, I write “Farinata’s heresy is defined in terms of his political association with Frederick II.” I further elaborate that Frederick II was excommunicated twice and deemed a heretic, hence Farinata is a heretic by association. I use sentence syntax to show a character development in Farinata from a to a florentine Citizen. My topic sentence is “Farinata’s verbal exchange mirrors his earthly status as a Ghibelline factional leader to his eventual transcendence of all partisans to a Florentine citizen that prioritizes his city’s welfare above all else.” The sentence is actually more closer to my roots, I love setting up parallels between people, sentence structure with character development, settings, etc. I use Farinata’s speech to show his character development. For example, I write “ He uses 3 subjects to compose his identity: “Me,” “My ancestors,” and “My party”.” His initial manner of speaking shows that he’s still fixated on Florence’s politics because he defines his identity exclusively in terms of his ancestral lineage and Florence’s politics. However, I contrast it with the end of his conversation where he says  “If they had learned that art badly’ he said, ‘that torments me more than this bed.” (lines 75-77, Canto 10, pg 31). I elaborate on Farinata’s reflection about the war as a more objective citizen as opposed to a partisan because he is able to admit that his people might be wrong. This post is more advanced than my prior post which solely relies on background knowledge to come up with any analysis. However, this post is more wordy and it attempts to discuss too many topics like heresy, types of heresy, Farinata, Cavalcanti, etc. all in one post. I set up another parallel in my 5th post between the nature of the sinners and the deceptive nature of the Evil Claws. This focuses more on the parallel itself and uses minimal background information to make a point.

My 4th post reflects my creative interpretation of the surroundings while using minimal background information. I enjoyed writing this post more than any other because it was purely my own interpretation and the language syntax was littered with beautiful contrasting pronouns that I could use to establish dualism between different definitions of femininity. While I read other interpretations of canto 19, I didn’t really like them to be honest. I felt that a lot of them dismissed the play on pronouns or simply attributed masculinity to the god itself. For this particular post, I liked my idea and set it up as “Dante defines the dualism between purity and corrupted purity exclusively in the terms of a woman.” I used pronouns to prove this; I write “ For example, Dante addresses the sinners as “that should be brides of goodness” (Canto 19, lines 2). The clergy is married to the church hence, they’re “brides”. However the church isn’t the husband, it’s the “Lovely lady” (Canto 19, line 55).” Based on the absence of the male pronoun, I claim that the text is insinuating that “ The sacredness of the church is a feminine aspect however the loyalty of the clergy is also a feminine aspect.” I particularly like using syntax analysis however, it’s hard in this type of literature because it’s a translated version. Some words are lost or phrased differently which is why I was initially hesitant to form any concrete interpretations from them.

I’m noticing that I’ve become more comfortable with the literature. I use the background information to understand the text but I don’t use it in the posts as much as I use to unless I need it to support my argument. In the beginning, I was uncomfortable with the background and Dante’s style of writing which is why my earlier posts focus so much on it. However, over time, I became comfortable enough to develop my own interpretations (even though they might be different from others) and use rhetorical analysis as my primary source of evidence as opposed to background information. However, I notice that I’m back into my comfort zone and I’m focusing on parallelism, dualism, etc. again. While those are my favorite, I would like to explore other areas of focus like recurring themes, character developments (in main characters), setting analysis, etc.

 

Refelective

As I was reviewing my posts, I’ve noticed many errors. In the majority of my posts I’ve been summarizing the cantos more than analyzing it. I also noticed that in the beginning I was using the past tense, but in my recent posts I started using present tense. I also use the same artist in each post, I should start looking at different artists to get a better variety. I think by looking at different artists it can make me envision the events in different ways. I did notice that I’ve focused on themes like fear, midlife crisis, sinners creating their own Hell, and comparing sinners to animals. I definitely need to analyze more and use different sources. I should start referring back and forth to different cantos to understand the links between each. The most important thing I need to do is to show myself understanding the readings rather than summarizing. I need improvement.

1st Reflection post

Looking back on my previous posts, I see that I tend to focus on one recurring motif in the cantos assigned or in one specific canto. I may point out a few specific scenes in the reading and build off the idea from that. Through the analysis, I see that I may recap the events in the canto(s) to support my point. However, I see that I struggle with that to be the main bulk of my post. In one canto, I used tone that discovered Dante used to set the scene. I like this idea and would continue to describe in more in future posts. Perhaps thought, I can also try to incorporate a picture in future posts. I see that I work well with focusing on one point that stuck out to me in the cantos. However, I can explain my points better by citing evidence such as parts of texts and quotes from the reading as support. I can clarify my writing more to have my ideas come across better. I would like to extend on some ideas made from another student as I believe that would also help me express what I found in the reading as I tend not to know where to start in a discussion. I noticed that I use Barolini’s commentary and other resources to complement my thoughts and I see that works well so I would continue to use that tool in writing my posts.

Overall, my posts describe certain parts of cantos and may focus on an emotion or tone that Dante uses. I can incorporate more supporting pieces in terms of quotes and pictures. I can also comment on another’s post to add on to the discussion to recall what’s important and opine on the matter.

Reflective Post 1

After rereading my posts, I noticed similarities and differences in my writing and responses. I included images for half of my posts. I think including artwork sometimes helped me understand the Cantos better and therefore respond better. My first two posts contained more summary than they contained analysis. With each consecutive post following the first two, I believe I progressed in my ability to make better connections, analysis, and find a theme within the Canto.

When looking through my work, I think my post entitled “Canto 11 – A Brief Break to Explain the Organization of Hell/The Presence of the Number 3 and The Importance of Nature” was done the most properly. To begin, I like how thorough and clear the title is as it sets up exactly what I focused on in the post. This was the first post I was able to notice a recurring technique of Dante the poet’s, in which he pauses to have Dante the pilgrim asks Virgil for clarity and the pilgrim’s confusions echo similar questions the reader probably has. I briefly gave a summary and dedicated the rest of my post to analysis. I think this is my first successful post because  I did a thorough analysis and I primarily focused on a theme of the importance of nature and God for Dante the poet. I also think this post is good because of its clarity. I separated it into 4 concise paragraphs in which I analyzed instead of just summarizing. The post that followed my Canto 11 post is “Canto 15: An Unexpected Encounter between a Teacher and Student.” I also like this title. I think this post is also good it mimics the structure of the preceding post. I gave a pretty thorough analysis of the connections between God, sodomy, and violence. I also included how Canto 15 ties to Canto 11. My analysis was presented well when I wrote, “In the third ring, a fiery rain falls on the sinners, which represents an unnatural phenomenon, like sodomy. Whereas regular rain replenishes the Earth, a fiery rain does the opposite since sodomizers also do not replenish Earth with new life.” I think it displays my comprehension of Canto 15.

In my future posts, I should use more outside resources. I also think I can dedicate more time to proofreading to avoid grammar mistakes. I have used quotes in my posts but I think I can include more. Lastly, I would like to make more connections to previous cantos.