Spirituality
25 May 06
29 May 06
Originally posted by catfoodtimVirgil is Dante's representation of human reason, or since Virgil was the greatest Italian poet (until Dante came) he could represent the pinnacle of human achievement without God. Virgil is not able to lead Dante through Paradise, thus Dante shows human reason can only take somebody so far; it cannot get a person into Heaven unaided, and it cannot comprehend the wonders of God.
What's the significance of Virgil as a guide?
30 May 06
Originally posted by Ramiri15I haven't encountered many 17-year-olds with an interest in Dante. What got you reading him?
Virgil is Dante's representation of human reason, or since Virgil was the greatest Italian poet (until Dante came) he could represent the pinnacle of human achievement without God.
31 May 06
Originally posted by Bosse de NageWe read parts of the Inferno in school, but I found the poem so absorbing that I bought the whole Comedy and plowed through it a couple summers ago. As far as why I like the poem, I guess the large amount of symbolism and the hierarchy of all the layers was what attracted me to it. I also enjoy history a lot so the endnotes were almost as interesting as the poem itself.
I haven't encountered many 17-year-olds with an interest in Dante. What got you reading him?
05 Jun 06
1 edit
Originally posted by Ramiri15Why did he vision Hell this way? Like the levels and different punishments and the symbolic refrences behind them. Like Judas, Cassius and Brutus as the three tratiors. Or why Limbo is a place of suffering without torment. Things like that. I'm only 17 years old, and I liked the book, I just found it very complex. I'm not a stupid person or anything, but I didn't get some of the material.
What are you confused about specifically? The symbolism? Possible allegorical interpretations? There's just so much to the Comedy that it's hard to answer such a broad question.