Dante and Virgil begin their climb from the first to the second terrace of Purgatory but as they do, they climb up in an incredibly contorted and difficult simile that swaps around emotional landscapes before landing them in the song of Jesus's beatitudes as well as the screams of hell.

Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we explore the climb out in this most difficult simile.

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Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:

[01:42] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XII, lines 100 - 117. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me, please scroll down this page.

[03:18] The giant simile about the staircase up to San Miniato al Monte and to the second terrace of Purgatory.

[08:50] Four reasons why this simile is so difficult (and perhaps contorted).

[13:29] The body/soul problem once again that ends with the first of the beatitudes.

[15:50] The inescapable landscape of hell.

[19:23] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XII, lines 100 - 117.