Analysis of The Divine Comedy by Dante: The Vision of Hell, Or The Inferno: Canto VIII

Dante Alighieri 1265 (Florence) – 1321 (Ravenna)



My theme pursuing, I relate that ere
We reach'd the lofty turret's base, our eyes
Its height ascended, where two cressets hung
We mark'd, and from afar another light
Return the signal, so remote, that scarce
The eye could catch its beam. I turning round
To the deep source of knowledge, thus inquir'd:
"Say what this means? and what that other light
In answer set? what agency doth this?"

"There on the filthy waters," he replied,
"E'en now what next awaits us mayst thou see,
If the marsh-gender'd fog conceal it not."

Never was arrow from the cord dismiss'd,
That ran its way so nimbly through the air,
As a small bark, that through the waves I spied
Toward us coming, under the sole sway
Of one that ferried it, who cried aloud:
"Art thou arriv'd, fell spirit?"--"Phlegyas, Phlegyas,
This time thou criest in vain," my lord replied;
"No longer shalt thou have us, but while o'er
The slimy pool we pass." As one who hears
Of some great wrong he hath sustain'd, whereat
Inly he pines; so Phlegyas inly pin'd
In his fierce ire. My guide descending stepp'd
Into the skiff, and bade me enter next
Close at his side; nor till my entrance seem'd
The vessel freighted. Soon as both embark'd,
Cutting the waves, goes on the ancient prow,
More deeply than with others it is wont.

While we our course o'er the dead channel held.
One drench'd in mire before me came, and said;
"Who art thou, that thou comest ere thine hour?"

I answer'd: "Though I come, I tarry not;
But who art thou, that art become so foul?"

"One, as thou seest, who mourn:" he straight replied.

To which I thus: "In mourning and in woe,
Curs'd spirit! tarry thou.g I know thee well,
E'en thus in filth disguis'd." Then stretch'd he forth
Hands to the bark; whereof my teacher sage
Aware, thrusting him back: "Away! down there;

"To the' other dogs!" then, with his arms my neck
Encircling, kiss'd my cheek, and spake: "O soul
Justly disdainful! blest was she in whom
Thou was conceiv'd! He in the world was one
For arrogance noted; to his memory
No virtue lends its lustre; even so
Here is his shadow furious. There above
How many now hold themselves mighty kings
Who here like swine shall wallow in the mire,
Leaving behind them horrible dispraise!"

I then: "Master! him fain would I behold
Whelm'd in these dregs, before we quit the lake."

He thus: "Or ever to thy view the shore
Be offer'd, satisfied shall be that wish,
Which well deserves completion." Scarce his words
Were ended, when I saw the miry tribes
Set on him with such violence, that yet
For that render I thanks to God and praise
"To Filippo Argenti:" cried they all:
And on himself the moody Florentine
Turn'd his avenging fangs. Him here we left,
Nor speak I of him more. But on mine ear
Sudden a sound of lamentation smote,
Whereat mine eye unbarr'd I sent abroad.

And thus the good instructor: "Now, my son!
Draws near the city, that of Dis is nam'd,
With its grave denizens, a mighty throng."

I thus: "The minarets already, Sir!
There certes in the valley I descry,
Gleaming vermilion, as if they from fire
Had issu'd." He replied: "Eternal fire,
That inward burns, shows them with ruddy flame
Illum'd; as in this nether hell thou seest."

We came within the fosses deep, that moat
This region comfortless. The walls appear'd
As they were fram'd of iron. We had made
Wide circuit, ere a place we reach'd, where loud
The mariner cried vehement: "Go forth!
The' entrance is here!" Upon the gates I spied
More than a thousand, who of old from heaven
Were hurl'd. With ireful gestures, "Who is this,"
They cried, "that without death first felt, goes through
The regions of the dead?" My sapient guide
Made sign that he for secret parley wish'd;
Whereat their angry scorn abating, thus
They spake: "Come thou alone; and let him go
Who hath so hardily enter'd this realm.
Alone return he by his witless way;
If well he know it, let him prove. For thee,
Here shalt thou tarry, who through clime so dark
Hast been his escort." Now bethink thee, reader!
What cheer was mine at sound of those curs'd words.
I did believe I never should return.

"O my lov'd guide! who more than seven times
Security hast render'd me, and drawn
From peril deep, whereto I stood expos'd,
Desert me not," I cried, "in this extreme.
And if our onward going be denied,
Together trace we back our steps with speed."

My liege, who thither had conducted me,
Replied: "Fear not: for of our passage none
Hath power to disappoint us, by such high
Authority permitted. But do thou
Expect me here; meanwhile thy wearied spirit
Comfort, and feed with kindly hope, assur'd
I will not leave thee in this lower world."

This said, departs the sire benevolent,
And quits me. Hesitating I remain
At war 'twixt will and will not in my thoughts.

I could not hear what terms he offer'd them,
But they conferr'd not long, for all at once
To trial fled within. Clos'd were the gates
By those our adversaries on the breast
Of my liege lord: excluded he return'd
To me with tardy steps. Upon the ground
His eyes were bent, and from his brow eras'd
All confidence, while thus with sighs he spake:
"Who hath denied me these abodes of woe?"
Then thus to me: "That I am anger'd, think
No ground of terror: in this trial I
Shall vanquish, use what arts they may within
For hindrance. This their insolence, not new,
Erewhile at gate less secret they display'd,
Which still is without bolt; upon its arch
Thou saw'st the deadly scroll: and even now
On this side of its entrance, down the steep,
Passing the circles, unescorted, comes
One whose strong might can open us this land."


Scheme ABXCXDXCE FGH XAFIJBFKXCXXXXXLX XXK HX F MXNXA XXXOGMXXXB XP XXQXXXXXXXCX OXX KAKKXC XXRJNFOESFXXMXIGXKQX XXXXFX GOTLXXX XXX XXXXXDXPMXTXSRXLXXX
Poetic Form
Metre 1101010111 1101011101 110101111 1101010101 0101010111 0111111101 10111101010 1111011101 0101110011 1101010101 11111011111 101110111 1011010101 1111110101 1011110111 0111010011 1111011101 110111011 1111011101 11011111110 0101111111 111111011 1111111 0111110101 0101011101 1111111101 010111101 1001110101 1101110111 111011001101 1101011101 1111111110 1101111101 1111110111 1111111101 1111010001 1101011111 11101011111 110111101 0110110111 10101111111 01001110111 1001011101 1101100111 11001011100 1101110101 1111100101 1101101101 1111110001 100111001 1110111101 1011011101 1111011101 110101111 1101010111 010111011 1111110011 1110111101 10101111 010101010 1101011111 1111111111 1001111 11111101 0101010111 1101011111 1111000101 110010101 11001011 10010111110 11010101010 1101111101 110110111 110101111 11010101 1101110111 1101011111 0100110011 01011010111 11010111110 011110111 1110111111 010101111 1111110101 111010101 1111010111 11111011 0101111101 1111111111 1111011111 1110111110 1111111111 1101110101 1111111101 0100110101 110111101 1011110101 01101010101 01011110111 111110101 01111110101 1101011111 0100010111 0111111010 1001110101 1111101101 11010100100 011100101 1111011011 1111111101 1101111111 1101011001 1110100101 1111010101 1111010101 1101011101 1100111111 110111111 1111111101 1111001101 1101111101 1101110011 111110101 1110110111 11101010101 1111110101 1001011 1111110111
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 5,469
Words 1,047
Sentences 59
Stanzas 17
Stanza Lengths 9, 3, 17, 3, 2, 1, 5, 10, 2, 12, 3, 6, 20, 6, 7, 3, 19
Lines Amount 128
Letters per line (avg) 33
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 250
Words per stanza (avg) 59
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Submitted on August 03, 2020

Modified on March 05, 2023

5:21 min read
5

Dante Alighieri

Durante degli Alighieri, simply referred to as Dante, was a major Italian poet of the Middle Ages. more…

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