Mixed Metaphors and the Limits of Human Senses: PARADISO, Canto II, Lines 64 - 84

Beatrice begins her destruction of Dante's explanation for moon spots by taking apart his notion of dense and rare spots on the lunar surface . . . with a dizzying display of mixed metaphors.

Her argument lofts to the highest visible heaven, the eighth sphere; then falls back into scholastic reasoning; and offering both experimental and poetic rationales for why he's wrong.

Let’s explore the first part of Beatrice's explanation for moon spots, predicated on the bass line of the incarnation.

The segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:

[01:20] My English translation of PARADISO, Canto II, Lines 64 - 84. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation about this passage, scroll down this page.

[03:27] Paraphrasing this difficult passage in Beatrice's argument about moon spots.

[04:46] Lofting the argument to the eighth heaven, the highest part of visible creation (from Dante's perspective).

[08:15] Offering diversity as complexity beyond a simple continuum for an answer.

[12:31] Moving into experimental (or experiential) proofs for her argument (and implicitly for an understanding of the incarnation of Jesus).

[15:13] Inspiring a dizzying vertigo through mixed metaphors to state the negative of her argument.

[18:41]            Rereading the passage: PARADISO, Canto II, lines 64 - 84.

My English translation of PARADISO, Canto II, lines 64 - 84: 

[Beatrice continued]: “The eighth sphere shows you many

Lights, which in terms of both kind and size

Can be noted as diverse faces.

“If this happened solely by rare and dense,

A single power would reside in all [of them],

Distributed more [here] and less [there], and [perhaps] equally.

“Different powers are by necessity the fruit

Of [various] formative principles—and these [principles], except for one,

Would be destroyed, if we followed your reasoning.

“Furthermore, if the darkness that you ask about

Had rarity as its cause, this planet would have

This material all through itself;

“Or else, just as fat and lean make up

One body, this [moon] would swap around

The pages in its volume.

“If the first [case] were true, it would be made manifest

In the eclipses of the sun, when the light shines through,

As it [does when it] is introduced into any other rare medium.

“But that’s not it. Therefore, let’s look at

Your other line of inquiry and, if I can break that apart,

Your [reasoning] will appear to be false. . . .”