PARADISO CANTO XIV Commentary and Analysis

[@louisepierpibs4975]

Wonderful, Tom, Dante’s Canto and your precious and passionate way of commenting on it. Thanks 👏👏

[@fmfm9846]

Thank you Tom, your reading of the Canto is so beautiful and musical. Indeed, you are a musician.

[@tomlabooks3263]

Thank you 🙏🏻 This comment means so much to me, truly!

[@verncampbell2395]

My reading and your passionate discussion has me believing this the most beautiful canto (thus far). Thank you so much, Tom! Best, V

[@tomlabooks3263]

Thank YOU for your support to this project! I’m so glad you loved this canto. It’s without a doubt a shiny “hidden gem” of world literature.

[@Ursulas_Odds_and_Sods]

I can really relate to Dante's troubles with eyesight, since I'm practically blind in my right eye without my miraculous scleral contact lenses. Eyeglasses existed in his lifetime, though his struggles with pride probably precluded him from buying a pair and wearing them. There's also scientific evidence that people retain visual memories and experiences, thanks to related brain circuits formed before they went blind or lost some of their vision I love the ending lines! They're so typically Dante. Even as he's growing in his faith and having all these heightened spiritual experiences, he still is most captivated by Beatrice.

[@tomlabooks3263]

I did not know that glasses were already available in his times. Agree with you though, I can see him possibly not wanting to wear them. Plus, we often forget that reading at candle light is terrible for your eyesight! I tried once and it’s really challenging. That’s also why we have stories of Dante reading sitting outside on a stone, or other people reading out in the open, because they needed the sunlight : ) Yes that ending is so personal and endearing.

[@tomlabooks3263]

OMG - something just popped into my head: this is the 14th canto of the 3rd cantica…… 3,14 = pi ! And the canto keeps talking about circles !! In the first line, he writes “cerchio” not once, but twice! Don’t you find this plausible? I never found this idea in any comments on Canto 14.

[@Ursulas_Odds_and_Sods]

@@tomlabooks3263 He really was a genius! That's such a clever Easter egg to include.

[@TootightLautrec]

This was a truly ecstatic and transcendent canto. I kept thinking of whirling dervishes as they spin and dance in ecstatic trances. I found Musa's translation captured this quite well, but nothing compares with your reading of it in Italian.

[@tomlabooks3263]

This one is so great ….. unbelievable.

[@scallydandlingaboutthebook2711]

There was something quite ecstatic at times in the descriptions on this canto. I really appreciated that you read us so many bits in the original Italian as I feel Kirkpatrick struggled a little to capture the beauty of the language at the same time as making it comprehensible.

[@tomlabooks3263]

In these days I re-read Macbeth, which I had almost forgotten because I read it in Italian decades ago, and I felt what it must be to be a native English speaker reading Dante. Shakespeare in Italian is “interesting”, “beautiful”, “exciting”, but never as awesome and jaw-dropping as he is in English. I watched a video where Ian Mckellen deconstructed the great “Tomorrow and Tomorrow “ monologue, and for the first time I properly understood Shakespeare’s genius, in the use of language, its musicality mixed with the meaning of each word. That linguistic genius is something that the two of them clearly had in common (and maybe no one else…… ever?)

[@scallydandlingaboutthebook2711]

@@tomlabooks3263 you are exactly right. And at least you can give us a taste of the sound, the musicality of Dante. Ian McKellen is a hero. I have seen him perform some of the great Shakespeare roles. His Lear was stunning.

[@tomlabooks3263]

@@scallydandlingaboutthebook2711 The title of that video is “Tomorrow and tomorrow - Ian McKellen analyzes Macbeth speech (1979)”. So brilliant.

[@tomlabooks3263]

@@scallydandlingaboutthebook2711 By the way, we watched the latest tv production of Macbeth tonight (“The Tragedy of Macbeth”, with Francis McDermott) - so, so, so beautiful. Every element is balanced and they made great artistic choices.

[@scallydandlingaboutthebook2711]

@@tomlabooks3263 I must find which streaming service has it here. I wasn't going out when it came to the cinemas here.

[@hesterdunlop7948]

My goodness. Ecstasy !! Your enthusiasm is contagious ....but , tbh , I think I'm more earthy in my pleasures ....

[@tomlabooks3263]

Thank you Hester 😄 I completely understand!

[@bighardbooks770]

_First!_ Aquinas and King Solomon!

[@HeyYallListenUp]

Time to get caught back up. I beginning to understand how non-engineers feel when I talk about engineering. I caught glimpses of beauty when I read this canto the first time, but I really didn't understand anything until I read Hollander's commentary and watched this video. Great canto. I especially enjoyed the third circle and Hollander's discussion of its meaning. I also enjoyed you personalizing this canto because your name is in it. St. John has to show up sooner or later, right?

[@tomlabooks3263]

Hi John - your comment about engineers really made me smile: that’s such a funny and self-aware thing to say 😅😅 And yes of course St. John will show up ! He is VERY high up. In canto 26 he will actually “quiz” Dante on some theological points.

[@tomlabooks3263]

OMG - something just popped into my head: this is the 14th canto of the 3rd cantica…… 3,14 = pi ! And the canto keeps talking about circles !! In the first line, he writes “cerchio” not once, but twice! Don’t you find this plausible? I never found this idea in any comments on Canto 14.

[@HeyYallListenUp]

@@tomlabooks3263 It's certainly a neat idea and I wouldn't put it past Dante. I'm a big fan of pi.

[@attention5638]

The back and forth language is so precise throughout, I had to read this a few times to match everything. I do really like the idea of expression being limited until the soul is united with the body. But I was a bit confused--is this only an outward expression, or is it something the souls could not feel inwardly? Or am I completely reading this wrong? (which is more than likely the case haha). 😅

[@tomlabooks3263]

Actually I think this is THE central question that someone should ask himself when reading this canto. Because if it is only an outward expression, it will have an esthetic, sensual value but little else. While if it’s inward as well - as I understand this unity to be meant by christian theology - then not only our utmost expression will be reached only at that moment, but also, and perhaps more importantly, our bodies have a spiritual value in and of themselves. With many fundamental consequences.

[@attention5638]

@@tomlabooks3263 Yes! That was along the lines I was thinking, thank you!

[@knittingbooksetc.2810]

Yes, I remember learning that humans are supposed to be a union of a body and soul and it’s only in that state that they achieve their highest perfection. The interim state before the resurrection is unnatural.

[@tomlabooks3263]

Oh… something just popped into my head: this is the 14th canto of the 3rd cantica…… 3,14 = pi ! And the canto keeps talking about circles !! In the first line, he writes “cerchio” not once, but twice! Don’t you find this plausible? I never found this idea in any comments on Canto 14.

[@knittingbooksetc.2810]

@@tomlabooks3263 That such a neat idea!

[@knittingbooksetc.2810]

The silly thoughts that come to my mind! I thought that Dante was thinking of an opportunity for business here: selling sunglasses, of course. 🤦🏻‍♀️ Oh, this Canto is about YOU! And here I was, thinking about the Aquinas guy!

[@tomlabooks3263]

🤣🤣😍