The First Ecstatic Vision . . . Of COMEDY: PURGATORIO, Canto XV, Lines 85 - 93

Walking With Dante

Dante and Virgil have stepped onto the third terrace of Purgatory proper and our pilgrim is hit with an ecstatic vision. In fact, the first one in a poem that may itself seem like an ecstatic vision. And one of the few anywhere in COMEDY.

Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we look at the first vision on the third terrace of Purgatory, the opening salvo to the true middle of the great poem COMEDY.

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

[01:49] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XV, lines 85 - 93. If you'd like to read along to continue the conversation, please find this episode of my website, markscarbrough.com.

[03:07] A vision of the Virgin Mary at the door, speaking in medieval Florentine.

[06:14] The changes in the Biblical story of Mary's leaving the young Jesus behind in Jerusalem and returning to find him.

[09:29] The importance of the possessive pronoun she uses: "my son."

[11:52] The paradox with "ecstatic visions" in COMEDY.

[16:16] The light of an ecstatic vision in transparent or empty space.

[21:43] Two little boys in Canto XV: the sun in the sky and Jesus in Mary's eyes.