Solving The Knot Of Wrath: PURGATORIO, Canto XVI, Lines 1 - 24

Dante finds himself in such dark, acrid smoke that he is reminded of the very inky desolations of Inferno. In fact, he has come to the darkest spot in all of COMEDY, the fiftieth canto of Dante's masterpiece.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we begin to explore the third terrace of Purgatory proper along with Dante and his guide, Virgil.If you'd like to help underwrite the many fees of this podcast, please consider donating either a one-time gift or a small monthly subscription through this PayPal link right here.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:35] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XVI, lines 1 - 24. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me, please find this episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.[03:35] The fiftieth canto of COMEDY is the darkest canto of them all.[05:24] Is the smoke of anger "contrapasso," as the punishments of hell were?[08:41] Can Virgil see in the smoke?[11:57] The line the penitents chant in unison is one of the oldest texts in the Mass.[15:25] Dante well understands anger as a knot.[19:27] Dante the poet shows an understanding of modern plot structure.[21:02] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XVI, lines 1 - 24.

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Ever wanted to read Dante's Divine Comedy? Come along with us! We're not lost in the scholarly weeds. (Mostly.) We're strolling through the greatest work (to date) of Western literature. Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as I take on this masterpiece passage by passage. I'll give you my rough English translation, show you some of the interpretive knots in the lines, let you in on the 700 years of commentary, and connect Dante's work to our modern world. The pilgrim comes awake in a dark wood, then walks across the known universe. New episodes every Sunday and Wednesday.