T. S. Eliot's "Ash Wednesday"
Today’s poem runs the gamut of Italian renaissance poetry, the Book of Common Prayer, and the depths and heights of the human soul. It opens with an allusion to the Italian poet Guido Cavalcanti, turns to the Purgatorio of Cavalcanti’s great disciple, Dante, and draws in the Anglican penitential office and lectionary readings for Ash Wednesday, all while following Eliot’s speaker through despair into hope. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe