Dante's choice of Constance for the sphere of the Moon is a good example of his poetry of names, technically known as interpretatio nominis , which is based on an illuminating resonance between a person's name and his or her fate or character. See Ciacco , Pier della Vigna , and Sapia. Here Dante exploits the traditional conception of the Moon as both the planet of Diana, the virgin goddess, and the planet of mutability or inconstancy.
Piccarda, who was a "virgin sister" in the world Par. Classical Invocations. Still, Dante's decision to begin his poetic voyage through the "holy kingdom" of Paradise 1. Invoking " good Apollo ," the poet seeks inspiration that will make his verses worthy of the "loved laurel" 1.
The laurel became the crowning symbol of high achievement--in military campaigns as well as in poetry--when Apollo pledged his enduring love to the nymph Daphne after she metamorphosed into a laurel tree. To exact revenge on Apollo for an insult, Cupid struck the god with an arrow aimed at inciting love while piercing Daphne with an arrow that made her shun love.
Daphne, emulating the virgin huntress Diana, rejected the amorous advances of Apollo and took flight. The river god Peneus transformed his daughter into the laurel tree in answer to her prayers just as Apollo was about to overtake her Ovid, Met.
The divine power that Dante calls on here is no stranger to violence, behavior perhaps more readily anticipated for poetry describing the punishments of Hell and purging trials of Purgatory than the workings of Paradise. The inspiration Dante seeks, to enable him to represent even a "shadow" of this blessed kingdom, derives from the same power displayed by Apollo when he killed the satyr Marsyas who had foolishly competed with the god in a musical contest by ripping the skin off his entire body 1.
It was possible to count his throbbing organs, and the chambers of the lungs, clearly visible within his breast" Ovid, Met. Holding nothing back in his celebration of classical inspiration, Dante claims that Apollo, Minerva Roman goddess of wisdom , and all nine Muses are behind him for his audacious attempt to sail uncharted poetic waters 2.
He predicts that the wonder experienced by his readers during this journey will exceed the wonder felt by the Argonauts when they saw their leader Jason , aided by Medea's potent magic, yoke fire-breathing oxen to a plow 2.
Trasumanar neologism and Glaucus. He compares the internal transformation he undergoes during this ascent to the change experienced by Glaucus , a fisherman-turned-god whose story contains several parallels with Dante's journey.
Swiftly moving souls approach Canto He, on the other hand, has been freed from all such things, following Beatrice to Heaven instead. Still in the sphere of the sun, the dancing souls gather in The two circles of lights resume their revolutions around Beatrice and Dante, singing praises to the Trinity and especially to Christ.
Aquinas then addresses another Not long after this, as he and Beatrice rise to the heavenly sphere of Mars, Dante perceives a ring of light forming outside Cacciaguida describes the smaller, purer Florence of Dante longs to ask Cacciaguida a question, and Beatrice urges him to speak freely.
Dante explains that, during his journey through Hell and Purgatory, When Dante broods over his future, Beatrice encourages him to take heart. When he looks at her, Dante is overwhelmed by the Dante soon realizes that he and Beatrice have been abruptly moved to the sixth heaven, the sphere of Jupiter, where the souls Shocked by the overwhelming cry of lament, Dante turns to Beatrice for comfort, like a little boy turning to his mother.
Beatrice reassures him, reminding him Benedict withdraws to the ladder, and Beatrice gestures that Dante, too, should ascend. He finds he can climb swiftly. Beatrice then exhorts Dante to keep the light within his eye clear, being so close to As Beatrice gazes toward the stars, Dante gazes at her bright face and happy eyes.
Then Dante Beatrice urges Dante to look around to see the other beauties this sphere offers—the Virgin Mary Beatrice addresses her fellow souls in Heaven, asking them to allow Dante to taste a morsel Paul, saying that faith is The soul of St. James, approaches, wishing to examine Dante in the virtue of hope. Now Dante can see better than ever before. He sees that a fourth Beatrice then encourages Dante to admire the sight of the earth beneath them once more. She is dressed in white, green, and red, the colors of the three theological virtues representing faith, hope, and charity respectively, and is seated on a Griffin-driven chariot.
The Griffin has the wings and head of an eagle and the body of a lion, and in Dante's world, represents Christ. Bernard belonged to the Cistercian order, served as the abbot of a monastery in Clairvaux, and was canonized in His numerous theological works established him as one of the most important church leaders of the twelfth century.
Bernard in her place. He tells Dante that Beatrice has returned to the Empyrean and has instructed him to guide the pilgrim through the final stage of his journey. The Empyrean is shaped like a white rose and is the highest heaven where the angels and the blessed reside.
Citation: Inf. But Beatrice's frequent smile often indicates something other than just joy at being among God's favorites and hints at a rather enduring trait which her male counterparts don't have. Let's knock around some possibilities. The first thing that Dante always notes about Beatrice is her beauty. And this is no doubt enhanced by her smile.
As we've discussed earlier, the power of her smile increases with the brightness of her soul the higher she ascends into Heaven. Each time our two heroes ascend into a new sphere, it seems like Beatrice's smile gets bigger and brighter. And more often then not, Dante goes into poetic rapture about how gorgeous she looks and how he cannot possibly capture her beauty in words.
Here, the increasing dazzle-power of her smile seems to reflect a simple love for God and growing joyousness at drawing nearer to him. His love shines through her smile and eyes at Dante, conveying the infinite compassion God has for all his blessed. We've grown so accustomed to her brilliant smile that it hits us like a bucket of cold water when she doesn't smile.
Her explanation? She's not displeased so much as she's looking out for Dante, because up here the dazzle-factor of her smile would burn Dante's eyes into blindness. So she goes without smile for a while, until Dante has witnessed the re-ascent of Christ and Mary into the Empyrean.
The purpose of these smiles, it seems, is to reflect the love of God. Then there are times when Beatrice has just a wisp of a smile of her face. And these instances almost always accompany one of Dante's spoken or unspoken questions.
This smile says, "I know something you don't know.
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