The Easy Climb Into Complex Meaning: PURGATORIO, Canto XIII, Lines 1 - 21

Walking With Dante

Dante the pilgrim and his guide, Virgil, have arrived at the second terrace of Purgatory proper. As readers, we're not even sure what this terrace is about, although we can infer there must be more penitents ahead.

Instead, Dante the poet offers us rather straightforward, naturalistic details, a complex neologism (a new word he coined), a crazy line that has many interpretations possible, and then a pagan prayer in the afterlife of the redeemed.

Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we walk into the second terrace and immediately stumble over what at first glance looks like a fairly simple passage. That's why we're slow-walking across Dante's known universe!

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Here are the segments of this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:

[01:09] My English translation of PURGATORIO, Canto XIII, lines 1- 21. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me, please go to my website, markscarbrough.com.

[03:22] The naturalistic, straightforward details complete with a surprising neologism (or newly coined word).

[08:12] A deeply ambiguous line smack in the middle of rather simple details.

[12:02] Virgil's haste and his internalization of Cato's ethic, as well as Dante's increasingly complicated relationship with the old poet.

[15:29] Virgil's pagan prayer to the sun.

[23:40] My take: Virgil, the pagan, makes a full appearance here on the second terrace of Purgatory.

[29:02] Virgil, blinded.

[31:42] A rereading of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XIII, lines 1 - 21.