Podcasts about rereading

Dante, Statius, and Virgil arrive on the seventh terrace of Mount Purgatory filled with the flames of lust.The pilgrim must make his precarious way between those burning fires and the abyss just to his right, a narrow path that may give us a clue to the poet's own fears of lust.This passage is a grab-bag of ideas, hymns, references, and emotions. Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we explore it more fully.Please support this podcast with a one-time donation or a very small monthly stipend using this PayPal link right here.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:23] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXV, lines 109 - 139. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me by dropping a comment on this episode, please find its entry on my website, markscarbrough.com.[03:55] Three curiosities: a double meaning at line 109, the flaming geography, and the parallels in INFERNO, Canto XXV.[08:13] Three surprising moments in the passage: a bit of humor, a glancing reference to an Aristotelean mean, and a direction connection with our poet.[12:21] A hymn for chastity and a reference to Shadrach, Mishach, and Abednego from Daniel 3.[16:56] Three examples of chastity . . . except the third seems smudged or inaccurate.[23:08] Penance as a medieval medical remedy.[24:19] PURGATORIO, the most human canto, about human development and art, all connected to nature.[26:21] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXV, lines 109 - 139.

Statius concludes his discourse on embryology by finally answering the pilgrim Dante's question about how souls can take on material attributes in the afterlife . . . and by gently correcting both Virgil's incomplete answer to the question in this canto and Virgil's larger explanation of the soul's journey after death in THE AENEID.This passage is justifiably complicated. Dante's imaginative and intellectual powers are on full display. It's easy to be lost in the details but there are wonders afoot, including the idea that there may be an allegorical reading of the passage that concerns the afterlife of a work of art.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we finish up Statius's discourse on the soul's material attributes in the afterlife before we ascend to the seventh and final terrace of Mount Purgatory.To support this podcast: use this PayPal link.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:49] My English translation of PURGATORIO, Canto XXV, lines 79 - 108. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me by dropping a comment on this episode, please find it on my website, markscarbrough.com.[04:25] Statius fuses classical imagery (the fates) and Augustinian thought.[10:02] The soul miraculously but of its own accord falls into the afterlife. Wait, what? And only now knows its path in the underworld?[13:03] The formative power of the soul is intact after death.[14:57] The afterlife soul is a fabrication of the air.[16:52] Statius gently refines Virgil's unsatisfactory answers to the pilgrim Dante's question.[18:28] The souls in the afterlife can enact their desires, just as they do in the world of the living.[20:51] Statius also gently refines Virgil's discussion of souls in the afterlife in THE AENEID.[24:24] Is this passage about the afterlife of poetry (or art), too?[27:12] Rereading all of Statius's discourse: PURGATORIO, Canto XXV, lines 34 - 108.

What happens when you read Lenin completely, chronologically, and in context? You discover a thinker far more complex and pragmatic than most portrayals suggest.In this illuminating conversation, Professor Alex Herbert shares insights from his ambitious "Lenin in 45 Volumes" project, where he's systematically reading Lenin's complete works in their original Russian. Herbert reveals how Lenin's ideas evolved significantly over time in response to specific historical conditions—a reality often obscured when revolutionaries and critics alike cherry-pick quotes without context.Contrary to how he's often portrayed, the Lenin that emerges from this chronological reading supported electoral participation throughout much of his early career while maintaining principled socialist positions. His approach to the national question developed in response to concrete debates within the Russian Empire about language rights and cultural autonomy. We learn how Lenin distinguished between theoretical disagreements and personal animosity, maintaining working relationships with those he fiercely criticized in print.The conversation explores fascinating historical specifics: debates about Ukrainian language in schools, the "liquidationist" trend within the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party, and Lenin's early recognition of China's revolutionary potential. Herbert helps us understand how political positions that might seem contradictory actually reflected a materialist approach to changing circumstances.Perhaps most valuable for contemporary leftists is the discussion of challenges Lenin couldn't fully anticipate—from modern environmentalism to the transformed nature of class in post-industrial economies. These areas require applying Marxist methods to new conditions rather than searching for ready-made answers in century-old texts.Join us for this thought-provoking exploration of revolutionary theory, historical context, and the continuing relevance of materialist analysis for today's political struggles.Send us a text Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the showCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesArt Design: Corn and C. Derick VarnLinks and Social Media:twitter: @varnvlogblue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.socialYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeCurrent Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon

Daiyu and Baochai exchange literary intimacies, and meta-literary musings! Is reading bad, actually? Or, is it Baochai who is kind of a fascist? Would Baochai reframe from reading her own book? Or is it Daiyu who should be “called out” for her classist joke? “Grannie Liu, more like Grannie Locust?, amirite?” 他是那一門子的姥姥？直叫他是個『母蝗蟲』就是了！ -DaiyuSupport the show

Statius goes on to the second part of his discussion of human embryology by following the fetus through its developmental phases until it finally has a brain. At this point, the prime mover knows it's capable of reason and so breathes a new spirit into it . . . to make it capable of self-reflection.This passage is astounding discourse on developmental embryology as understood by medievals via Aristotle but may also be a complex allegory for the creation of poetry.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we work our way through the middle bits of Statius's discourse.If you'd like to help support this podcast, please consider a one-time donation or a small monthly stipend. You can donate via this PayPal link right here.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:35] My English translation of PURGATORIO, Canto XXV, lines 52 - 78. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me about this passage, please find the entry for this episode on my website: markscarbrough.com.[04:37] Following the logic of Statius's discourse on embryology.[19:46] Three conclusions about reproduction and human development via Statius (and the poet Dante).[23:15] Embryology as an allegory for the craft of poetry.[25:53] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXV, lines 52 - 78.

Dante the pilgrim has asked the pressing question of how immaterial souls can take on material attributes like leanness.To answer that, Virgil has offered a couple of unsatisfying answers, then turned the lecture over to the redeemed Statius . . . who begins by discussing human digestion. As understood via Aristotle, Aquinas, and more, food is purified into blood which then coagulates into a fetus.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, for the opening stanzas of Statius's remarkable and poetic description of human embryology. Dante is nothing if not surprising at every turn.If you'd like to help support this podcast by underwriting its many fees, please consider a one-time donation or a very small monthly stipend, using this PayPal link right here.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[02:04] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXV, lines 34 - 51. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me, please find the entry for this episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.[04:13] Statius begins with two important words that signal the poetics of his lecture: "lume" ("light") at line 36 and "bello" ("beautiful") at line 43.[07:48] Dante the poet cribs his understanding of digestion from several sources and sees digestion itself as the foundation of human reproduction.[16:51] Reproduction begins as the mingling of female blood with purified, male blood.[19:26] It then continues through coagulation and vivification.[22:43] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXV, lines 34 - 51.

Our pilgrim, Dante, has asked a very pressing question: How can shades grow thin? How does the immaterial act like the material in the afterlife?Virgil has given the pilgrim the confidence to ask this question. So Virgil takes the first crack at an answer. Problem is, he offers a whole unsatisfying answer and then turns the discussion over to Statius.This passage is a curious introduction to Statius's coming discourse on embryology. Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we work through the emotional vibe established before we get to the intellectual and doctrinal answer ahead.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[02:42] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXV, lines 22 - 33. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me, please find the entry for this episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.[04:19] Curiosities in the medieval Florentine in lines 22 - 27.[06:33] Virgil's two inadequate answers to the pilgrim's question.[13:11] The wound of the intellect and their relation to poetry.[17:35] Statius and the limitations of Virgil.[20:04] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXV, lines 22 - 33.

Dante the pilgrim, Virgil, and Statius begin the ever-quickening ascent to the final terrace of Mount Purgatory. As he climbs, the pilgrim has a question about the gluttons on the previous terrace . . . but it's really a question that's been brewing since almost the opening of COMEDY itself.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we look at the opening lines of PURGATORIO, Canto XXV, a canto that was often treated as a scientific treatise in the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance but that is now too often dismissed as a medieval curiosity: Statius's wild discussion of embryology.If you'd like to support this work, please consider a one-time donation or a very small monthly stipend to underwrite the many hosting, licensing, editing, streaming, and royalty fees by using this PayPal link right here.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:29] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXV, lines 1 - 21. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me, please find the entry for this episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.[03:33] PURGATORIO's Canto XXV is a bridge between gluttony and lust, as well as a bridge between two important discussions of poetry.[07:04] We get a brief glimpse of Jerusalem as we hurry up the stairs.[09:42] Is there symbolism or even allegory in the notion that the narrow stairs "unpairs" the travelers?[11:48] The pilgrim is a baby stork--he wants to fly but still needs parental protection.[15:30] The pilgrim Dante finally asks the central problem of corporeality that has troubled COMEDY almost since its beginning.[18:43] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXV, lines 1 - 21.

St. John “Sinjin” Cramer is a dynamic sales strategist, keynote speaker, and host of the Rural Sales Success podcast. A UK native now based in New Zealand, Sinjin helps businesses understand how to sell with empathy, especially in high-stakes, rural environments. His philosophy? Stop selling. Start serving. “If you don't like where you are—move. Even a small shift can be a catalyst for growth.” “Don't sell to farmers—or anyone. Help them make informed decisions.” “Be a buyer's assistant. If you're not helping people feel safe in a purchase, you're not selling—you're pushing.” Sinjin Cramer shares wisdom from decades in rural sales, exploring why trust and understanding context matter more than tactics. From metaphors on movement and mindset to book recommendations and rugby strategy, this episode uncovers how small actions, curiosity, and service can create lasting transformation—for both buyers and sellers.

Virgil, Statius, and our pilgrim, Dante, walk along in contemplation, together but also alone with their thoughts.They're interrupted by the angel at the stairs who shows them the way up to the final terrace of Mount Purgatory.Our pilgrim loses his sight but gains precision in his other sense. And our poet gains the daring to rewrite one of Jesus's beatitudes.If you'd like to help underwrite the many costs of this podcast, including, hosting, licensing, streaming, and research fees, please consider a one-time donation or even a very small monthly stipend at this PayPal link right here.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:31] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXIV, lines 130 - 154. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation about this passage, please find its entry on my website, markscarbrough.com.[03:48] The growing importance of the contemplative life.[07:46] The color in the holy glare (red) and the point of this journey (peace).[11:07] The "blind" simile of the May breeze at dawn.[16:11] The rewritten and tricky beatitude that ends Canto XXIV.[21:22] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXIV, lines 130 - 154.

Forese Donati has passed on ahead of our pilgrim Dante and his two guides, Virgil and Statius. They now need to walk on along the sixth terrace of Mount Purgatory to find the stairs up to the last level.They soon come across the second tree on the terrace (or perhaps just the second tree that they've seen!). This tree proclaims itself a seedling from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden.Dante and his companions appear a bit shook up as the tree offers them a classical and a Biblical example of gluttony.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we begin our exit from the sixth terrace of Purgatory and talk about the solace of ceremonial repetition.If you'd like to donate to help support the many hosting, licensing, streaming, and editing fees associated with this podcast, please consider giving a one-time contribution or a small monthly stipend using this PayPal link right here. Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:34] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXIV, lines 100 - 129. If you'd like to read along or drop a comment about this episode, please find the entry for it on my website, markscarbrough.com.[04:47] Unpacking the first four tercets (ll. 100 - 111) and asking five questions about the second tree on Purgatory's sixth terrace of gluttony.[12:30] The possible regression to childish desire as a form of penance on this terrace.[16:05] The second tree on the terrace, a seedling from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden.[24:29] The classical and Biblical examples of gluttony: centaurs and Gideon's army.[28:53] Ceremonial repetition as solace.[33:38] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXIV, lines 100 - 129

After an influx of GPA addenda questions, Nathan and Josh address several examples in a rapid-fire segment. Their main point: you probably shouldn't write one at all. Addenda highlight weaknesses and provide information that admissions committees may hold against you. Skip the sob stories and focus on showing why you'll succeed in law school.⁠Study with our Free Plan⁠⁠Download our iOS app⁠⁠Watch Episode 5150:42 – Big Beautiful BillNathan and Josh discuss provisions of the Big Beautiful Bill that cap law school loans at $50,000 per year. They argue it's not the crisis some students fear, noting that borrowing six figures for law school is unwise and the cap protects less informed applicants. They see the bill as targeting predatory schools, not students. Check out our Scholarship Estimator.2025 AccessLex Data Report23:52 – Rapid Fire AddendaThe guys advise students to avoid addenda. Addenda draw attention to the weakest parts of your application and must be concise and strategic if used. An effective addendum highlights positive traits and avoids overexplaining. The goal is to shift focus away from negatives and give admissions officers something strong to latch onto.38:46 – Role QuestionsNathan and Josh explain how to approach role questions, which ask about the function of specific sentences in an argument. They remind listeners that sentences are usually in one of two key categories: premises and conclusions. While answers are phrased abstractly, you succeed by reading answer choices with the same care and engagement used on the passage itself. 50:18 – Accuracy Up but Speed StalledNathan urges students not to chase speed at the expense of comprehension. Every missed question indicates another question you got correct, but didn't understand. Rereading whole passages is a red flag for poor initial reading. Meaningful engagement with the passage allows students to trust their comprehension in the face of flawed arguments.1:04:05 – Broken QuestionsJosh and Nathan refute the idea of “broken” LSAT questions. While some answer choices may be stronger than others, all correct answers are defensible. Blaming the test forfeits a chance to improve. When struggling, walk away and revisit the question with fresh eyes—some days you'll simply perform better than others.1:11:14 – Personal Statement Gong ShowHannah sends in her submission for the Personal Statement Gong Show. Josh and Nathan read the personal statements and hit the gong when something goes wrong. The standing record to beat is 21 lines, held by Danielle.1:27:07 - Word of the Week - Effect Pollination of fruit tree flowers, a necessary step in fruit production, is effected only by certain insects. Get caught up with our ⁠Word of the Week⁠⁠ library. 

We've come to the end of the long conversation between Forese Donati and Dante (as well as others) on the sixth terrace of Mount Purgatory among the penance of the gluttons.Dante the pilgrim hedges the question of when he will die, then Forese leaps into an apocalyptic vision of the ruin of someone closely connected to Florence--that is, his own brother, Corso Donati.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we work through this apocalyptic prophecy about Corso's ruin, fit it into its historical context, and finally are left with the pilgrim, Virgil, and Statius on the terrace, all caught in a host of military images.If you'd like to help defray the many fees associated with this podcast, including hosting, editing, domain registrations, and my subscriptions to a host of academic journals, please consider offering a one-time donation or a very small monthly stipend using this PayPal link right here.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:29] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXIV, lines 76 - 99. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me, please find the entry for this episode of the podcast on my website, markscarbrough.com.[03:43] A couple of problems with what the pilgrim Dante could know and the beginning of the military images in the passage.[08:53] Forese Donati's apocalyptic prophecy of the very near future.[13:28] The story of Corso Donati, Forese's brother and a key leader of the Black Guelphs in Florence.[19:25] The military imagery for Forese's triumph (which reminds us of Brunetto's exit in INFERNO XV), as well as that imagery for Virgil and Statius, standing near the pilgrim on the terrace.[23:56] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXIV, lines 76 - 99.

Dante the pilgrim has claimed that indeed he is the one who is inspired by love, who writes what love breathes into him and then makes meaning from that.Bongiunta is not finished with that discussion. Instead, he goes on to name this inspiration the "sweet new style" (or the "dolce stil novo"), thereby igniting over seven hundred years of commentary and controversy.And Bonagiunta himself seems to throw some fuel on that fire, given his apparent satisfaction with himself. And Dante the poet may add some fuel, too, given his citation of classical sources, hardly breathed-in inspiration.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, for this most daunting passage in all of PURGATORIO, striking near the heart of what Dante the poet believes he's doing . . . and what generations of critics and thinkers believe he's doing.If you'd like to help support this podcast, please consider a very small monthly stipend or a one-time donation through this PayPal link right here. Your contribution helps me pay the many fees associated with keeping this podcast going.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:48] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXIV, lines 55 - 75. If you'd like to read along or to continue the conversation with me, please find the entry for this episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.[04:02] Bonagiunta's imaginative landscape: brothers and knots.[07:17] Bonagiunta's peers (or perhaps his school?): Giacomo da Lentini and Giuttone d'Arezzo.[11:41] The "sweet new style" and the taproot of Italian literature.[16:27] Problems with the "sweet new style": its membership, its final relationship to Bonagiunta, and its meaning sewn into the text over generations.[24:55] Two similes that comment on or even challenge this "sweet new style."[30:00] Forese's poignant question and its link to INFERNO X.[31:56] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXIV, lines 55 - 75.

Suppose your child were born on the seventh day of the seventh month, what would you do? If you saw an immortal soul falling into the well of mortal existence, would you intervene and save them? Suppose you were facing a lifetime of strangely illiquid “tear debt,” would you seek solace in historical novels and plays that serve no clear moral or dogmatic purpose? These and other questions are all addressed in this installment of Rereading the Stone, a podcast dedicated to historical Chinese literature, poetry, and philosophy. Support the show

After Forese Donati has pointed out five of the gluttons on the sixth terrace of Mount Purgatory, one of them, the first mentioned and a poet of the previous generation, keeps muttering something almost unintelligible under his breath.Our pilgrim asks him for more information. He then offers the pilgrim an oblique prophecy that has troubled Dante scholars for hundreds of years. He also asks if this pilgrim is the same guy who wrote a poem found in the VITA NUOVA.Dante replies that he is indeed that poet . . . and goes on to claim that his poetry is inspired by love itself.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we take on the first half of the single most annotated passage in all of Dante's COMEDY. We are getting to the heart of what Dante thinks he's doing with his poetry . . . but what exactly that is remains something of a mystery, or at least a scholarly debate.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[02:00] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXIV, Lines 34 - 54. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me, please find the entry for this episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.[05:08] The value of paying attention: the pilgrim to Bonagiunta and Bonagiunta to Dante's poetry.[08:54] Bonagiunta's shifty murmurs of "gentucca."[11:51] An opaque prophecy about Lucca from an older poet who should know how to be clear.[17:13] Bonagiunta's refernce to a canzone (or long poetic song) from Dante's VITA NUOVA.[20:37] The pilgrim's wild claims for direct inspiration from . . . love (or maybe God).[27:02] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXIV, lines 34 - 54.

Forese Donati continues to answer Dante the pilgrim's questions by naming five penitent gluttons surrounding them on the sixth terrace of Mount Purgatory.As he points them out, Forese (and Dante the poet behind him) use culinary and gastronomical imagery to reinforce the themes of the terrace and perhaps to further fuel that long-standing feud between French and Italian cuisine.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we pick through the historical and cultural details in the second part of Forese's answer to the pilgrim.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:52] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXIV, lines 16 - 33. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me, please find the entry for this podcast episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.[03:17] The deft use of culinary and gastronomic imagery in this passage.[06:40] Five penitent gluttons: Bonagiunta of Lucca, Pope Martin IV, Ubaldino della Pila, Boniface, and Master Marchese degli Orgogliosi.[17:12] A curiosity: It's not forbidden to name them?[19:16] Is this passage a false lead?[22:54] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXIV, lines 16 - 33.

PURGATORIO, Canto XXIV, is set as a direct continuation from Canto XXIII. The poet Dante cues us to the continuation but there nevertheless are a couple of subtle disruptions.For one thing, Virgil has been silence for most of Canto XXIII and will indeed remain silent throughout Canto XXIV, his longest silence yet in COMEDY. We won't hear anything from him until well into Canto XXV.And in this on-going conversation with Forese Donati, we get our first glimpse of Paradise, after curiously understanding that the human will is strong enough to slow down its progress even to that place, its ultimate goal.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we work through the opening lines of our on-going time among the gluttons on the sixth terrace of Mount Purgatory.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:49] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXIV, lines 1 - 15. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me, please find the entry for this episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.[03:12] Canto XXIV is a continuation of Canto XXIII--and Virgil remains silent.[06:33] The "redead" is a reference to Jude 12 in the New Testament.[10:49] Does Ulysses enter into this passage?[11:50] The human will can even slow down its ultimate desire, the central motivation of the universe.[14:15] Mentioning Piccarda Donati gives us a fuller glimpse of Paradise ahead . . . and a classical glimpse.[16:48] Pain and solace are the core of the prophetic voice.[21:39] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXIV, lines 1 - 15.

Forese Donati has finished his diatribe about Florentine women and is now ready to hear Dante the pilgrim's story. Who did the pilgrim get here in the flesh?The pilgrim retells the journey, renegotiating its opening and reconfiguring its theology, even this high up on the mountain, as we near the apocalyptic climax of PURGATORIO.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we walk slowly through this last passage in Canto XXIII.If you'd like to help support this podcast and underwrite its many fees, please consider a small stipend or a one-time donation at this PayPal link right here.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:27] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXIII, lines 112 - 133. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with a comment, please find this episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.[04:09] A V-shaped structure reinforced for Canto XXIII.[06:17] A question of what Forese should remember and how the opening of COMEDY should be understood.[10:20] Further negotiations about the plot of COMEDY.[14:22] The first time the pilgrim Dante names Beatrice and the first time he acknowledges the loss of Virgil.[16:09] A curious moment: Virgil named and Statius unnamed.[18:29] Two larger questions. One, COMEDY is a poem in process.[20:03] Two, PURGATORIO replicates the structure of the New Testament.[23:16] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXIII, lines 112 - 133.

Having praised his wife, Nella, Forese Donati launches into the prophetic voice, the new "high style" that Dante has developed, a screed with a lyrical undertow.This complicated poetic act can only be accomplished with the vernacular, with medieval Florentine (in Dante's case).And although it fuses with misogyny and xenophobia, it nonetheless demonstrates the Dante's new style beyond love sonnets: the lyrical, prophetic voice.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we explore Forese Donati's condemnation of Florentine women and his wild launch into Isaiah's prophetic vision.If you'd like to help support this podcast, consider a one-time donation or a small monthly stipend using this PayPal link right here.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:40] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXIII, lines 91 - 111. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation via a comment on this episode, please find its entry on my website: markscarbrough.com.[03:50] As Forese launches into his misogynistic condemnation of Florentine women, he reaffirms his love for his wife, Nella, the "little widow."[08:42] Forese's prophetic discourse takes flight from a misogynistic and xenophobic platform.[11:29] Rising sumptuary laws indicate an increasingly fluid social structure, particularly for women.[15:02] Forese ends his screed at a high-style moment infused with Isaiah's prophecy (from Isaiah 7).[18:03] The prophetic discourse ends at a lyrical moment somehow still in this high style.[20:03] The vernacular is able to handle a greater emotional range than Latin in Dante's day.[23:40] Forese's prophecy never comes true--and incorporates a curious shadow of doubt.[26:23] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXIII, lines 91 - 111.

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Dante the pilgrim and his rival/friend/fellow poet Forese Donati continue to talk about their concerns: suffering, placement on the mountain, and the role of the living in the service of the dead.Along the way, they seem to be coming closer and closer to the Christian idea of redemptive suffering, a complex stance in the face of the nihilism that almost overwhelms the suffering in INFERNO behind us.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we explore these problems, plus talk about Forese's wife, Nella, and the role of the vernacular in exploring and explaining the deepest truths.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:37] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXIII, Lines 76 - 90. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me, please find the entry for the episode of the podcast on my website, markscarbrough.com.[03:17] The changing notion of suffering--yes, in COMEDY, but even in this small passage.[07:20] Accounting for time, souls, and their ascents on Mount Purgatory.[13:32] Nella Donati and two interpretive stances toward her place in the poem: 1) correcting the record or 2) hoping for a full record of a poet's works.[17:36] Vernacular language and its uncomfortable relationship with "higher" truths.[24:03] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXIII, lines 76 - 90.

Having met his poetic rival, Forese Donati, Dante the pilgrim must make sense of the clear and present pain he sees in friend's face.This passage is a curious example of felix culpa, the fortunate fall, in which suffering must be reinterpreted for the greater good. Except the pain doesn't stop being the pain. Suffering remains the central metaphysical question of the human condition, the experiential crux underneath our high-minded notions of ontology.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we work through this conversation between two poetic rivals on the sixth terrace of Mount Purgatory among the emaciated gluttons.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:42] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXIII, lines 49 - 75. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me, please find the entry for this episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.[04:08] Best friends, still perhaps vain, still perhaps rivals.[10:39] A power in the water and the tree--and an intense interpretive knot.[14:56] The problem of hunger and thirst among disembodied souls.[18:50] The interpretation of suffering as the crux of being human.[26:15] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXIII, lines 49 - 75.

Dante now walks with the skeletal gluttons who have God's writing on their faces.Along the way, there are increasingly complex and almost gaming literary references that litter the text until Dante the pilgrim suddenly is recognized by a fellow, contemporary, vernacular poet who is not known for any high style but is instead a champion of a low, vulgar poetry in this hip, new form of the sonnet.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we look into the mirror of an increasingly complex meta reality in COMEDY as Dante the pilgrim meets his friend and rival Forese Donati on the sixth terrace of Mount Purgatory.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:22] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXIII, lines 28 - 48. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me in the comment section at the bottom of the page, please find the entry for this episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.[03:23] Internal thoughts--less revelatory than just rehearsed--about the siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE.[09:27] The potential blasphemy of the pelican in her piety.[12:50] Three references to other texts in increasing opacity: from Dante's VITA NUOVA, from Ovid's METAMORPHOSES, and from Josephus' history (sort of).[15:30] Starved enough to see God's writing in the human face: a felix culpa?[21:31] A misplaced tercet in COMEDY?[22:52] Forese Donati and Dante v. Statius and Virgil.[31:18] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXIII, lines 28 - 48.

Paul Axton describes Rowan Williams' reinterpretation of Hegel, which accords with Axton's reading of Hegel's work on the philosophy of religion and Anselm's ontological argument. In this understanding, Hegel provides an orthodox Eastern-like sensibility of the necessity of Trinity for thought. If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider donating to support our work. Become a Patron!

Our pilgrim must move beyond the mystical tree on the sixth terrace of Mount Purgatory. So he sets off behind Virgil and Statius, only to overtaken by a group of cadaverous, skeletal penitents, whose hollow eyes watch the pilgrim's slower journey.This passage is an interesting set of problems: low stylists which end up with Ovidian references, all tied up in the very real medieval problem of starvation.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we work through this passage of camaraderie, mentorship, and growing affection on the terrace of gluttony.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:13] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXIII, lines 1 - 27. If you'd like to read along or start a conversation with me and others about this passage, please find the entry for this episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.[03:19] Camaraderie and mentorship in a lower style with a final salvo at avarice.[11:34] A psalm fragment in Latin and a possible quibble about Virgil's character.[16:26] Pensive pilgrims, right out of the VITA NUOVA, Dante's earlier work.[20:05] Ovid's METAMORPHOSES as a source for hunger: cited thoroughly and then overwritten beyond its ending.[25:04] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXIII, lines 1 - 27.

Virgil and Statius begin to trek around the sixth terrace of Mount Purgatory but are stopped by an upside-down tree . . . that causes more questions than it provides answers.A voice in the tree warns them off and offers examples of temperance, of moderate appetites, all of which are strange interpretations of Biblical stories that don't necessarily have to do with gluttony.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we look at some of the final misreadings and misinterpretations in PURGATORIO, Canto XXII. It's a wild end to one of the most profound cantos of the second canticle of COMEDY.If you'd like to help underwrite this podcast, either with a one-time donation or a small monthly stipend, you can do so at this PayPal link right here.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:31] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXII, lines 130 - 145. If you'd like to read along or if you'd like to talk more about this passage or this episode, please find the entry for this episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.[04:02] The first temptation among the penances: ripe, tasty fruit.[05:41] Questions about this upside-down tree: how does it grow, what does the dripping liquid do for it, and what does it all mean?[11:47] This tree and the two trees in the Garden of Eden.[14:25] Three examplars against gluttony: the Virgin Mary, Roman women, and the prophet Daniel.[19:00] The classical age in the Christian age, with its precursor, John the Baptist (or perhaps Virgil).[25:03] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXII, lines 130 - 145.

Our pilgrim, Virgil, and Statius arrive on the otherwise empty sixth terrace of Mount Purgatory. Virgil seems more hesitant. And our pilgrim, Dante, more passive, as he listens to the two older, wiser poets discuss the craft of poetry.This passage represents the paradox of circularity and linearity, of stasis and advancement, that is the major structural (and thematic!) tension in COMEDY.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we work through a seemingy easy passage while the pilgrim learns the craft of poetry.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[02:01] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXII, lines 115 - 129. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me, find this episode on my website and drop down the page to see the translation and a place to start a conversation with a comment: markscarbrough.com.[03:23] Circularity and linearity: the crux paradox of COMEDY.[08:37] Marking the temporal as a reality claim in COMEDY.[13:25] A possible change in Virgil's characterization.[16:25] Learning the craft of poetry (to engage the play of quotation and interpretation).[21:12] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXII, lines 115 - 129.

At the end of their first conversation, Virgil and Statius reconstruct limbo. They transform it into a neighborhood where all the lost, classical writers live.They also transfer limbo's sighs from the damned to the poet Dante and potentially to his reader. Where have these great authors gone?And if their texts are one way to God, how many ways to redemption have then been lost with them?Join me, Mark Scarbrough, for the ironic and complex conclusion to Virgil and Statius' conversation in PURGATORIO, Canto XXII. We end at a place of the final misreading and misquotation: that of COMEDY itself.If you'd like to help underwrite the many fees and costs of this podcast, please consider making a one-time contribution or setting up a very small monthly stipend with this PayPal link right here.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[02:25] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXII, lines 94 - 114. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me, please find the comment section for this episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.[04:31] The reconception of limbo over the course of COMEDY.[09:56] The Roman authors in the list of those lost.[17:48] The Greek authors in the list of those lost;.[21:02] The characters from Statius' poems who are apparently in limbo.[24:55] The displacement of Manto in COMEDY: the final misreading and misquotation in a canto full of them.[27:57] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXII, lines 94 - 114.

In this episode, the hosts delve into the complexities of the Malazan series, focusing on the character of Silver Fox and her multifaceted identity. They explore themes of motherhood, sacrifice, and the implications of resurrection, particularly through the lens of Kalor's tyranny and the influence of the Elder Gods. The discussion also covers the Deck of Dragons and the Azath Houses, emphasizing their roles in structuring the chaotic elements of the narrative. The conversation highlights the interconnectedness of characters and the series' challenge to traditional notions of morality. In this conversation, the participants delve into the intricate themes and character dynamics of the Malazan series, particularly focusing on the concepts of order and chaos, the significance of the hounds, and the mysteries surrounding the gates. They discuss the importance of rereading the series to uncover deeper connections and insights, as well as the implications of the War Council and the emerging threat of the Panyin Domain. The conversation also highlights the internal struggles of characters like Paran and the enigmatic nature of Burn, exploring how memories and past experiences shape their identities.Send us a messageSupport the showFilm Chewing Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2235582/followLens Chewing on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lenschewingSpeculative Speculations: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/speculative-speculationsSupport the podcast: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/7EQ7XWFUP6K9EJoin Riverside.fm: https://riverside.fm/?via=steve-l

Statius finally tells Virgil what we all want to know: the story of his conversion. How did this Latin poet who dedicated his great epic to a Roman emperor become a Christian.Through a long process and by subterfuge. Statius was a closeted or hidden (or to use the medieval Florentine term, "closed") Christian.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we look through this passage in which Dante the poet attempts to justify putting this pagan Roman poet in Purgatory and on his way to Paradise.If you'd like to help out with the costs of this podcast, please consider a one-time donation or a small monthly stipend, using this PayPal link right here.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:20] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXII, lines 76 - 93. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me, find the entry for this episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.[03:27] Two minor issues: Who converted Statius? And was Dante the poet rethinking his position toward the neutrals in INFERNO?[08:08] Statius' journey in the afterlife to the fourth circle of Mount Purgatory . . . and where else?[08:40] Statius' improvised backstory and the inclusion of a historical figure: Emperor Domitian.[13:13] Dante's concept of conversion (v. modern conceptions).[16:36] Statius' words and the problem of the "above" text.[20:01] Texts in texts and the inevitable overlay of irony.[24:50] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXII, lines 76 - 93.

One of our favorite sections of the text — Grannie Liu takes Baoyu's bed for a spin, dreaming her own dream of red chambers! A full sensory experience, we compare it to Bayou's dream from Qin Keqing's bed.Support the show

Given that Statius claims a passage from The Aeneid made him see the error of his ways, Virgil wants to know how this poet of the Thebes could have ever become a Christian, particularly since his poetry shows little evidence of the faith.Statius replies with some of the most shocking lines in COMEDY: He became a Christian AND a poet because of the damned, pagan Virgil. Virgil's own poetry led Statius to his profession and his confession.To put it another way, Statius was redeemed, not by divine light, but a small human candle.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we work our way through one of the most revelatory passages in all of PURGATORIO, lines that help us understand the framework of COMEDY.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:53] My English translation of the text: PURGATORIO, Canto XXII, lines 55 - 75. If you'd like to read along or drop a comment to start a conversation, please find the entry for this episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.[04:39] Virgil's questions about Thebes, history, and faith.[15:02] Virgil's inspiration toward both poetry and God.[19:07] Statius' misquoting from Virgil's ECLOGUES.[27:31] Poetry and conversion founded in inspiration from a text.[30:01] Statius and Christianity in COMEDY.[32:00] Rereading the text: PURGATORIO, Canto XXII, lines 55 - 75.

Statius and Virgil continue their conversation as they climb to the sixth terrace with the pilgrim Dante.Statius explains that he discovered his error when he read two lines from Virgil's AENEID. The problem is that Statius misquotes these lines and misinterprets them, making them fit his personal situation while pushing them through Aristotle's ethics.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we look at this wild passage that has inspired over seven hundred years of commentary. What if the way you can get saved is by misinterpreting a classical text?Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:57] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXII, lines 25 - 54. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me, please find the entry for this episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.[05:08] The binary relationship becomes a triangulation, thereby elevating the pilgrim Dante.[08:30] Statius' changing status in Purgatory colors (or darkens) Aristotle's notions of accidents and substances.[16:06] Statius seems to have read Dante's INFERNO![21:19] Statius misquotes and misinterprets a passage from THE AENEID, which then leads to his salvation (or at least to the recognition of his errors).[29:16] Avarice and prodigality are apparently mostly connected to the clergy.[30:18] The whole discussion falls back to Aristotle's ethics, (mis)interpreted for the Christian reader.[32:58] To sum, a misquoted, misinterpreted passage from classical literature begins the journey toward redemption.[35:46] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXII, lines 25 - 54.

Blinded by the angel, Dante the pilgrim begins his climb to the sixth terrace of Mount Purgatory. But his plight is overshadowed by Virgil's desire to know more about Statius . . . in this strange passage of misquotings and misreadings.The angel cuts short a beatitude from the gospels. Virgil seems to misquote Francesca from INFERNO, Canto V. And Virgil himself seems to toss out Aristotle's Golden Mean to get what he wants from Statius.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we work through the start of many misquotations and misreadings that make up PURGATORIO, Canto XXII.If you'd like to help out with the many fees associated with this podcast, you can offer a one-time donation or a small monthly stipend of a couple of dollars, pounds, or Euros, using this PayPal link right here.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:59] My English translation of the medieval Florentine. If you'd like to read along or add a comment to continue the discussion with me, please find the entry for this episode of the podcast on my website, markscarbrough.com.[04:02] My opening remarks on PURGATORIO, Canto XXII.[06:57] The climb and the truncated beatitude.[12:23] Action off-stage . . . because of haste or because of blindness?[15:47] Virgil's quotation (or misquotation) of Francesca from INFERNO, Canto V.[20:55] Virgil's tragedy and Dante's hope.[25:43] The question on all of our minds (with a passing reference to Aristotle's Ethics).[29:29] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXII, lines 1 - 24.

This episode includes Dancing the Tightrope Chapters Twelve The Froth is My Friend and Thirteen The Art of Living. These chapters mark a turning point in my journey of making friends with pressure. To this day, I still find it difficult to explain how different this approach to pressure – and to life – is from the typical approach espoused in high performance coaching elsewhere. Rereading these two chapters several years later, I'm still pleased with how well these two chapters explain the “pressure as a catalyst” approach. However, it's dang near impossible to understand it if you haven't experienced it. The best analogy I've come up with is what I call the “fish story.” Fish don't know they live in water. Water is all they know. On the other hand, dolphins are aware of world of water and of course they are aware of air, since they must surface to breathe. Learning about the unseen forces that impacted the way I dealt with pressure was a little like being a fish who discovered there was a whole different world. In order to break the surface and breathe the air of life., I had to ask myself some tough questions along the way.  These two chapters break down the distinction between pressure and the thing causing the pressure, and also those tough questions, which I believe apply to anyone seeking the signal of a genuine life amidst the noise of the modern world.

Statius has sung his (first!) hymn of praise to Virgil without knowing that the old poet is right in front of him. Dante the pilgrim is caught between them in this most human episode with his master, Virgil, demanding silence and his new friend, Statius, wanting to know why the pilgrim is smiling.Which means Dante is also caught on his emotions which seem to be overriding his will . . . in a canto about the will's primacy.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, for the very human ending to his surprising and comedic canto in PURGATORIO.If you'd like to help out with the many fees associated with this podcast, for streaming, hosting, editing, and more, please consider a one-time donation or a very small monthly stipend, using this PayPal link right here.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[02:25] My English translation of the passage. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation, please find the entry for this episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.[05:33] The curious inelegance of the poetry in this passage.[08:31] The welling up of emotions into the eyes.[11:50] Virgil's curious reticence.[13:21] The will v. the emotions--ever the human dilemma.[17:43] The dramatization of the anxiety of influence--and of the divided will.[19:56] The revelation of Virgil on this road to Emmaus.[22:46] Polytheism in this monotheistic poem?[24:10] Statius' error and apology.[29:12] The imperfections of the perfected.[31:03] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXI, lines 103 - 136.

We finally get to know our unknown shade on the fifth terrace of Purgatory: Statius, the epic Roman poet.His salvation is one of the most audacious moves in all of COMEDY. Dante has to work every fiction-making muscle he has to assert that this pagan poet has spend so long in Purgatory on his way to heaven . . . and finds himself face to face with Virgil, his poetic inspiration and apparently the carrier of God's revelation.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we discover another way that love moves the fence.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:52] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXI, lines 76 - 102. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me, please find the entry for this episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.[04:49] Introducing Publius Papinius Statius (45 - 96 CE), the author of THE THEBIAD and THE ACHILLEID . . . and a soul who should never be here in Purgatory.[10:36] Virgil's continued insistence on the "why?"[13:38] The lamentable if inevitable bloom of antisemitism in COMEDY.[17:30] Statius, always without faith in the historical record but always vocalized in COMEDY.[20:36] The shocking conjunction of THE AENEID and babytalk.[24:06] A bit of heresy from Statius . . . unless the redeemed don't have to be perfect.[27:19] Why Statius in Canto XXI of PURGATORIO?[31:35] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXI, lines 76 - 102.

The still-unknown shade on the fifth terrace of Mount Purgatory rounds out his answer to Virgil's questions with some shocking revelations: The souls in Purgatory seem to declare the moment they're cleansed. The will is the only proof that their penance is complete. They stand up. They choose to move on.Or do they? Is it that simple? Or theologically explosive? This passage is easy to overstate, particularly in the modern world. But there are actually at least two safeguards on this notion of free will in the soul's answer.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we explore the theological second half of the soul's answer to Virgil's questions.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[02:02] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXI, lines 58 - 75. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with a comment, please find the entry for this episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.[05:13] The supremacy of the will (and of interiority).[10:10] The supremacy of divine justice (and a counterweight in the argument).[14:28] The turn to the speaker's autobiography.[17:06] The pilgrim as a third in an otherwise simple dialogue between two.[19:31] Rereading the entire answer to Virgil's questions: PURGATORIO, Canto XXI, lines 40 - 75.

Virgil has asked two questions: Why'd the mountain shake and why'd the shades all cry out with one voice?The unknown shade on the fifth terrace of Mount Purgatory begins his answer by referring to Aristotle's notions of change . . . and offers the surprising conclusion that some change is impossible about the three steps to the gate of Purgatory proper.And then he does something wilder: He begins to wrap the poetic imagery of Cantos XX and XXI back onto itself.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we explore this difficult passage, the first part of the unknown shade's answer.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[02:20] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXI, lines 40 - 57. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me via a comment, please find the entry for this episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.[04:08] The mountain's meteorology and Aristotelian accidental change.[09:09] Two translation issues early in the passage.[12:45] Classical learning: Thaumus's daughter, Iris.[15:41] Stable feet v. wet feet . . . and the search for a contemplative space.[19:28] The refusal to answer "why?"[21:16] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXI, lines 40 - 57.

The unknown shade has been gobsmacked by the fact that escapees from hell may be climbing Mount Purgatory.Virgil explains that the pilgrim is still very much alive. To do so, Virgil uses classical, not Christian, imagery. And Virgil presses for an answer as to "why" the mountain just shook and "why" all the souls sang out with one voice.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we explore Virgil's curious answer to the unknown shades questions on the fifth terrace of Purgatory, among the avaricious.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:43] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXI, lines 22 - 39. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me, please find the entry and comment section for this particular episode on my website: markscarbrough.com.[03:49] Doctor Virgil explains the symbols on the pilgrim Dante's forehead . . . or does he?[08:15] Virgil offers the firm assurance of the pilgrim Dante's redemption.[10:37] Virgil uses classical imagery to explain life and death.[14:32] Was Virgil fished out of all of hell or just Limbo?[17:23] Virgil focuses on the "why?"[20:42] The thread and the thirst wrap the poetry in the canto.[22:40] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXI, lines 22 - 39.

Dante the pilgrim and Virgil have seemingly moved off even as Hugh Capet was still speaking. They're picking their way among the avaricious when they're stopped by an earthquake that rattles Mount Purgatory.Dante is afraid. Virgil may even be afraid. But he tells the pilgrim to "fear not," much as those angels tell the shepherds at the birth of Jesus.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we work our way through the end of PURGATORIO, Canto XX: a return to the plot with lots of portents for what's ahead.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:33] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XX, lines 124 - 151. If you'd like to read along or drop a comment to continue the conversation, please find the entry for this episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.[04:13] A return to the plot--or to the "now" (which may be what avarice cannot understand).[09:49] The third earthquake of COMEDY.[12:11] Two references to birth with this earthquake.[15:44] Virgil's "fear not" when he doesn't seem fearless.[16:56] The pilgrim's possibly faulty memory.[20:29] INFERNO XX vs. PURGATORIO XX.[24:27] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XX, lines 124 - 151.

Hugh Capet has spent a long time answering the pilgrim Dante's first question: who were you? He now turns to the pilgrim's second question: why did I only hear your voice on this terrace?In doing so, Hugh begins to sing antiphonally . . . or at least, he begins to list off those who have been done in by avarice, the quickest and tightest list of figures in PURGATORIO.Why is this list so full of figures yet so curt in its style? And why does Hugh seem to come to the end of his speech so abruptly?Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we try to answer these and other questions at the conclusions of Hugh Capet's monumental monologue.If you'd like to make a contribution to underwrite the many fees for this podcast, you can do so as either a one-time donation or through a small monthly stipend. To do either, please go to this PayPal link right here.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:31] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XX, lines 97 - 123. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me, please find this episode among those for WALKING WITH DANTE on my website, markscarbrough.com.[04:01] Hugh's abrupt transition from one answer to his second.[08:46] Our questions about glossing and polyphony.[12:29] Hugh Capet's brief list of the tragic figures of avarice.[22:18] Spurred to what? Your own choice?[26:26] Two rationales for the shortness of these lines about the greedy figures.[30:11] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XX, lines 97 - 123.

As Hugh Capet winds up to the heights of his monologue, he comes to a most shocking climax: that moment when the French monarchy is so bad that it makes even the corrupt papacy look good.We've come to the very center of Dante's beef with the French crown, voiced by this legendary monarch about his own descendants, particularly Philip IV (or Philip the Fair). It's a tale so dire that even papal corruption is forgotten!Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we explore the narrative climax of Hugh Capet's monologue on the fifth terrace of avarice in PURGATORIO.If you'd like to help underwrite the fees of this podcast, whether with a one-time donation or a very small monthly stipend, please consider doing so with this PayPal link right here.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:14] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XX, lines 82 - 96. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me about this episode, please find its slot on my website, markscarbrough.com.[03:06] Identifying the players in the passage: Philip IV (or the Fair) of France and Pope Boniface VIII.[07:48] Tracing the political history behind this passage.[15:41] Admitting the shock of Dante's defending Pope Boniface VIII.[18:42] Talking in code as a survival strategy.[22:54] Querying whether evil actions can be inherited (since virtuous ones can't be).[25:11] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XX, lines 82 - 96.

Hugh Capet continues the story of his family, bringing the saga of the French (or Frankish) crown into Dante's day with three of Hugh's most infamous descendants . . . at least as far as the poet is concerned.Our pilgrim gets treated to a grim recital of French misdeeds. And we catch our first whiff of antisemitism in COMEDY, just at the moment the actual French monarchy is expelling the Jews from French territory.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we explore this tough middle passage in Hugh Capet's rendition of the avaricious wrongs of the Frankish kingdom.If you'd like to help underwrite the many fees associated with this otherwise unsupported podcast, you can make a one-time donation or a small on-going contribution by using this PayPal link right here.Here are the segments for this episode of the podcast WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:43] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XX, lines 61 - 81. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation about this difficult passage with me and others, find the entry for this podcast episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.[04:07] The poetics in the passage: structure and rhyme.[07:51] The troubled disconnection and reconnection of Provence and France.[12:48] Hugh Capet's first malicious descendant: Charles I of Anjou (1226 - 1281).[19:10] The second miscreant among his issue: Charles of Valois (1270 - 1325).[22:56] The first instance of antisemitism in COMEDY.[29:37] Hugh Capet's third bad seed: Charles II of Anjou (1254 - 1309).[32:50] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XX, lines 61 - 81.

The pilgrim has been attracted by one soul, calling out his examples of Mary, Fabricius, and Nicholas to counter his own sins of avarice.Dante steps closer and inquires who this soul is. He finds himself in front of Hugh Capet, the legendary (and historical) founder of the Capetian dynasty of French kings. Or at least a version of said Hugh Capet, since Dante the poet flubs the historicity of his penitent.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we explore this fascinating look at the second major figure on the fifth terrace of Mount Purgatory.If you'd like to help underwrite the fees associated with this unsupported podcast, whether with a one-time donation or a small on-going contribution, please visit this link at Paypal.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:50] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XX, Lines 40 - 60. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me, please find the comment section for this episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.[04:38] Hugh Capet in history.[10:46] Hugh Capet out of history and into COMEDY.[14:19] The highlights in the passage, plus a note about Hugh's prophetic voice.[25:04] The passage without its historical apparatus.[28:49] Dante's anti-French propaganda and his misunderstanding of power as a human motivation.[32:16] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XX, lines 40 - 60.

Dante has gone beyond Pope Adrian V but hasn't left the fifth terrace of Purgatory. He and Virgil pick their way among the many shades until the pilgrim hears one shade call out three examples that entice the pilgrim to find this penitent.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we work through this passage on the terrace of the avaricious that will eventually lead us to our surprising second greedy soul ahead.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:15] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XX, lines 16 - 39. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me about this passage, please find the entry for this episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.[03:15] Dante, the poor homeless man, stares at the greedy.[05:25] The exemplars for the avaricious are told in very few words.[07:04] The first exemplar for the avaricious: Mary and her poverty.[10:03] The second exemplar for the avaricious: Fabricius and his poverty.[12:26] The third exemplar for the avaricious: Saint Nicholas and his generosity.[16:18] Does Dante have a death wish?[22:10] Rereading the passge: PURGATORIO, Canto XX, lines 16 - 39.

Pope Adrian V has pushed the pilgrim Dante to move on . . . even though the pilgrim doesn't want to.He and Virgil pick their way through the crowded fifth terrace of Purgatory. The avaricious are so many that the poet has to step out and offer a prophetic denunciation among the wreckage.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we edge our way toward the second penitent on this crowded terrace of PURGATORIO.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:32] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XX, Lines 1 - 15. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me in the comments to this episode, please find it on my website, markscarbrough.com.[03:16] The advantange or problem with structure in PURGATORIO, Canto XX.[07:30] The pilgrim's weak will redirected.[09:57] The pilgrim's and Virgil's movement v. the immobile smelting of the penitents.[13:17] The poet-prophet's curse.[16:32] The poet-prophet's hope.[22:14] Rereading this passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XX, lines 1 - 15.

Pope Adrian V, bound hands and feet to the ground, sets out to answer the pilgrim Dante's second question: What's going on here?In doing so, the pope unwittingly gives one of the most misunderstood lines in PURGATORIO.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we explore more of this conversation with the first (and only) pope we meet on Mount Purgatory.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:52] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XIX, lines 115 - 124. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me, please find this episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.[03:43] Punishment v. purification . . . and their contrapasso.[06:33] The bitterness of the pain.[09:42] Bitterness and falconry.[12:53] The transformation of the soul . . . momentarily stopped.[14:06] The avaricious v. the envious.[16:17] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XIX, lines 115 - 126.

Dante the pilgrim has asked Virgil--at least with a look in the eyes--if he could speak to one of the avaricious penitents, lying face down on the ground.On Virgil's okay, the pilgrim walks up to Pope Adrian IV . . . or at least so Dante the poet thinks. Sources vary. And interpretations, too.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we work through the interpretive and historical knots we face on meeting our first pope since INFERNO.If you'd like to help cover the costs of this podcast, consider donating a lump sum or even a little bit each month using this PayPal link right here.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:19] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XIX, lines 91 - 114. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me in the comments to this episode, please find it on my website, markscarbrough.com.[03:47] Two interpretive knots: what exactly you must ripen to return to God and why anyone would want to stop that ripening process.[08:13] Dante, an architectural poet, who gives his reader three structuring questions for this conversation.[09:31] Four possible interpretive answers to the line of Latin from the penitent.[14:28] The identity of the speaker's family: the Fieschi from east of Genoa.[17:00] The identity of the speaker himself: Ottobono de' Fieschi, aka Pope Adrian V (c.1215 - 1276 CE).[20:12] Dante's possible historical mistake: Pope Adrian IV or Pope Adrian V?[23:00] Punishment v. purification: a difficult balance in PURGATORIO.[26:43] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XIX, lines 91 - 114.