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