Thank you for your first appearance, Dr Heyne! This was brilliantly explained. Canto XXVII was particularly personal for Dante, seemingly. This was truly the purgation he needed most. He places himself here like a reader might do. Do not abandon desire; purify it! The desire for Beatrice is beautiful. It is a pure love that is strikingly connected to her eyes. Sight and knowledge are clear connections here. Virgil really does exit at the proper moment. We are now beyond reason's ability to grasp fully what comes next. Thank you!
This was marvelous!!! Thank you so much!!! What a beyond incredible thought, that Jesus longs for us to desire more perfectly, to gaze into the eyes of the beloved in order to see so we can love them purely! So different than what we would think!!! Were people in Dante's time shocked or surprised to hear his idea? How I wish we ourselves could preacjh it today! What a gracious God we live in, move in, and in whom we have our very being!!! Thank you again!!!
Another excellent discussion, thank you. Even though now Dante will meet Beatrice and soon enter Paradise, a joyful event, it is sad to leave Virgil the great guide and companion. He’ll be missed.
Thank you Dr. Heyne for showing how Dante now sees into the eyes of Beatrice, to see her soul and not to look on her in lust. His sin is gone! How purifying is the fire we must all walk through.
Such a beautiful moment when Virgil hands off Dante the Pilgrim to Beatrice as the next guide, to complete his journey to Paradisio; the words are beautiful, in Italian as well as the English translation, whichever version is used, thank you again to those who have brought the project to us. We are nearly there, 2/3 completed.
Thank you Dr. Heyne For the admonition that sexual desire is a distraction that blinds us and must be cast aside in order for us to be in perfect alignment with the will of God. Like Dante, when contemplating the wall of fire, I turn to words that blossom in my own mind, the words of a song by Johnny Cash called "Ring of Fire:" "Love is a burning thing And it makes a fiery ring Bound by wild desire I fell into a ring of fire... I fell into a burning ring of fire I went down, down, down And the flames went higher And it burns, burns, burns The ring of fire, the ring of fire..." Oh, that my foolish desires will be cast aside like those of the pilgrim-poet Dante so that I won't be trapped and held hostage long term in Purgatorio by that fiery ring.
Canto 27: The poets are greeted by the Angel of Chastity with the words: “Blessed are the pure of heart ... for they shall see God,” before being directed towards the staircase from Purgatory’s final penitential terrace to that of Paradise-on-Earth. However, before they can enter the narrow staircase, Dante must be purified by Purgatory’s final flames through which all penitents must pass. Dante fears to proceed, until Virgil encourages him with the enticement of seeing Beatrice beyond the flames. It is only after this ultimate purification that Dante will be able to gift her with the love poem he had once promised her. Having passed through the purifying flames, Dante beholds the all-magnificent Light of the Guardian Angel of Earthly Paradise, who sings: "Come, blessed of my Father." Single file, the poets mount the stairs but are reminded evening draws neigh; they will need to rest before they can complete their ascent. Each settles on one of the steps. Dante has another dream, in which he sees Leah and Rachel, Jacob’s wives, who metaphorical represent action and contemplation. These two virtues, taken together, will allow for the Perfection the pilgrim seeks. Upon awakening, Dante listens with full heart to Virgil’s farewell address in which he encourages Dante to "take your pleasure as your guide," echoing St. Augustine’s instruction: “Love God and do as you will.” “Piacere,” that which brings you pleasure, that which you most desire, is the ultimate guide for meeting the God who is Love. Now, having overcome the she-wolf’s greedy appetite for sin, Dante is offered by Virgil the “crown and miter,” i.e. secular and spiritual authority. Dante realizes he has been forgiven; salvation is at hand.
"The perfection, not the rejection." Beautifully said.
Thank you for your first appearance, Dr Heyne! This was brilliantly explained. Canto XXVII was particularly personal for Dante, seemingly. This was truly the purgation he needed most. He places himself here like a reader might do.
Do not abandon desire; purify it! The desire for Beatrice is beautiful. It is a pure love that is strikingly connected to her eyes. Sight and knowledge are clear connections here. Virgil really does exit at the proper moment. We are now beyond reason's ability to grasp fully what comes next.
Thank you!
This was marvelous!!! Thank you so much!!! What a beyond incredible thought, that Jesus longs for us to desire more perfectly, to gaze into the eyes of the beloved in order to see so we can love them purely! So different than what we would think!!! Were people in Dante's time shocked or surprised to hear his idea? How I wish we ourselves could preacjh it today! What a gracious God we live in, move in, and in whom we have our very being!!! Thank you again!!!
Another excellent discussion, thank you.
Even though now Dante will meet Beatrice and soon enter Paradise, a joyful event, it is sad to leave Virgil the great guide and companion. He’ll be missed.
Agreed! I felt very emotional reading his final words.
Thank you Dr. Heyne for showing how Dante now sees into the eyes of Beatrice, to see her soul and not to look on her in lust. His sin is gone! How purifying is the fire we must all walk through.
Thank you so much Dr. Heyne! This commentary is so helpful for this canto and for Purgatorio as a whole.
Such a beautiful moment when Virgil hands off Dante the Pilgrim to Beatrice as the next guide, to complete his journey to Paradisio; the words are beautiful, in Italian as well as the English translation, whichever version is used, thank you again to those who have brought the project to us. We are nearly there, 2/3 completed.
The refining fire spoken of in Malachi has purged the soul. Will and desire are aligned perfectly to the will of God. Superb presentation! Thank you.
Excellent. I really enjoyed the part about eros being the driving force to bond that is transformed (subsumed) into agape through the spirit.
Thank you Dr. Heyne For the admonition that sexual desire is a distraction that blinds us and must be cast aside in order for us to be in perfect alignment with the will of God. Like Dante, when contemplating the wall of fire, I turn to words that blossom in my own mind, the words of a song by Johnny Cash called "Ring of Fire:"
"Love is a burning thing
And it makes a fiery ring
Bound by wild desire
I fell into a ring of fire...
I fell into a burning ring of fire
I went down, down, down
And the flames went higher
And it burns, burns, burns
The ring of fire, the ring of fire..."
Oh, that my foolish desires will be cast aside like those of the pilgrim-poet Dante so that I won't be trapped and held hostage long term in Purgatorio by that fiery ring.
Dr. Heyne's exuberance while explaining this Canto is exciting, isn't it?
Excellent. Clear, insightful and helpful.
A wonderful presentation. Thank you, Dr. Heyne.
Thank you Dr. JP Heyne. Very energetic, enthusiastic and insightful review of Canto 27. I very much enjoyed it.
TRANSCRIPT
Thank you for the 100 Days Project!
Canto 27: The poets are greeted by the Angel of Chastity with the words: “Blessed are the pure of heart ... for they shall see God,” before being directed towards the staircase from Purgatory’s final penitential terrace to that of Paradise-on-Earth. However, before they can enter the narrow staircase, Dante must be purified by Purgatory’s final flames through which all penitents must pass. Dante fears to proceed, until Virgil encourages him with the enticement of seeing Beatrice beyond the flames. It is only after this ultimate purification that Dante will be able to gift her with the love poem he had once promised her. Having passed through the purifying flames, Dante beholds the all-magnificent Light of the Guardian Angel of Earthly Paradise, who sings: "Come, blessed of my Father." Single file, the poets mount the stairs but are reminded evening draws neigh; they will need to rest before they can complete their ascent. Each settles on one of the steps. Dante has another dream, in which he sees Leah and Rachel, Jacob’s wives, who metaphorical represent action and contemplation. These two virtues, taken together, will allow for the Perfection the pilgrim seeks. Upon awakening, Dante listens with full heart to Virgil’s farewell address in which he encourages Dante to "take your pleasure as your guide," echoing St. Augustine’s instruction: “Love God and do as you will.” “Piacere,” that which brings you pleasure, that which you most desire, is the ultimate guide for meeting the God who is Love. Now, having overcome the she-wolf’s greedy appetite for sin, Dante is offered by Virgil the “crown and miter,” i.e. secular and spiritual authority. Dante realizes he has been forgiven; salvation is at hand.
I've never thought of Rachel and Leah as pictures of rest and action. It sounds like Many and Martha to me! Why did they view it like that?