PURGATORIO, Episode 238. Absence Becomes Elevated, High-Style Presence: PURGATORIO, Canto XXXI, Lines 49 - 63

Beatrice finishes her second salvo at Dante with a master class in a high, elevated style. She also carries on with her balancing act between literal and metaphoric speech. In all these ways, she is directing both the pilgrim to the journey ahead and the poet to the sort of poetry he will have to craft to explain the PARADISO experience.

Mark ScarbroughFebruary 1, 2026Purgatorio XXXI, Purgatorio, Purgatory, Confession, Contrition, Beatrice, The Garden of Eden, The Earthly ParadiseComment

PURGATORIO, Episode 236. The Poet Loses His Words: PURGATORIO, Canto XXXI, Lines 1 - 21

Wailing, Dante is silent in the face of Beatrice’s indictment. She is impatient to hear his confession. But she’s also done the unthinkable: she’s robbed a poet of his words. He’s left speechless in front of her . . . about the way he was in front of Francesca back in INFERNO.

Mark ScarbroughJanuary 25, 2026Purgatorio XXXI, Purgatorio, Purgatory, The Garden of Eden, The Earthly Paradise, Lethe, Beatrice, ConfessionComment