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we came forth, and once more saw the stars. There is a certain, rather delicate, aspect of the modern liberal sensibility that rebels against Dante's Inferno. In his , David Denby way, he believed in torture; he justified it.
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My reading of Dante was a failure, and of the most And in his introduction to this translation by Robert Pinsky, John Freccero Christian poets, there is no sign of Christian forgiveness in the Inferno. The dominant theme is not mercy but justice, dispensed with the Justice in Hell is meant to be objective, measured specific gravity of the sin. Such a mechanical These sentiments, with which I could not disagree more strongly, reflect the curious point we've reached in Western history.
On the one hand, the intelligentsia find torture, capital punishment, virtually any civil rights imposition, to be unacceptable when it comes to actual evil doers, but blithely advocates abortion, euthanasia, and the like, for genuine innocents. Human beings in this world view are judged by their physical condition, rather than by their moral standing. And yet, it is Dante Personally, I find something comforting in the idea that, in a world where so much evil exists, those who are evil might face eternal perdition.
Hell--Tristan and Iseult, Helen of Troy, Cleopatra, etc.. I've always As a rule though, it seems likely that readers' reactions to the rather severe treatment of the souls in Hell will track their own political leanings.
If you are someone who wishes that justice were objective, you're unlikely to be offended. If you tend to wring your hands in agony at the prospect of someone being held accountable for their actions, you won't feel comfortable with the fate Dante forecasts. In either case, the poem itself is truly great and in Robert Pinsky's translation, it's reasonably easy to follow.
You will want to refer to the notes frequently and a of some kind can't hurt. I also recommend the : hearing it read aloud adds to the experience greatly. .
: Dante Alighieri, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Robert Pinsky -- together in cyberspace. Hear Pinsky read excerpts from With an introduction by Robert Pinsky, excerpted from his new book The newest Poet Laureate, Robert Pinsky, discusses the state of poetry in America, his new job and poetry in cyberspace. (NewsHour, PBS) (Spring 1998 issue of Meridian, For someone who appears to have such good press, a heavy weight lifter of literary reviews, why such a light weight attempt to cover one of the principal works of western literature, Dante Alighirei's "The Divine Comedy".
"With a small gleam in me eye"(which classical movie am I referring to here?) I might call this a wussy review of a great work. I don't have anyone making claims for my reputation, and I came here humbly, looking for inspiration, and for all the smoke in your references and self-pronouncements,.
..a pitiful stab at 1/3 of the poem is hardly something to be proud of.
.. At the moment I am in Purgatorio, reading a paper copy of Dante, Doubleday Co.
Inc. 1947, with no translator named! too bad the ethical value of those days failed to reach someone like yourself who, I don't doubt, believes himself to be the spiritual son of Cato the Younger's value system, yes?
You, will no doubt, say "No, I don't doubt the valuable contributions of Greek philosophy, even at an early age." But such clever attempts to deflect allusions to your literary fig leaf, a review of the Inferno, and a pitiful one at that. the least I expected from brothersjudd.
com would be a thoughtful comparison of The Purgatorio, From the Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri Translated by S. Fowler Wright, which I found on the web, and an older translation, similar to one I am reading in paper copy. I would expect a thoughtful discussion of the poetic skill that I am impressed by in Mr.
Wright' work and the unnamed, (and thus unfulfilled?) translator of an older version of Dante. I would expect some comment on the Italian original and the translation you have referred to here.
..at least a fig leaf's worth.
I would expect something more from you, the spiritual son of the Sons of Liberty, from your pronouncements I wouldn't be surprised if you trace your physical blood ken to Thomas Paine's unmentioned mentor...
and even further back to Addison, the British playwright. Yes, the issues of FREEDOM and SECURITY, these themes exist in Dante's work! why?
because as you rightly point out, from your massive reading, these are two recurrent themes of the human condition. And they don't only appear in western literature, because they are part of the HUMAN CONDITION they exist in other world literature works..
..like Murasaki's Tale of Genji, which I read last summer, in translation of course!
Take a break from all that nonsense you crowd your brain with and at least cover the foundations of Western human Experience...
..Yes, my next letter to you will be my reaction to your review of Paradise Lost.
But not until I finish Dante. i highly recommend robert pinsky's translation, if you have not already procured a copy.
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