This year, 2021, marks the 700th anniversary of the death of Dante, author of the great Divine Comedy. I invite you to experience the odyssey, by accompanying me as I discuss each canto.
(My book, Dante’s Divine Comedy: A Guide For The Spiritual Journey, is published by Angelico Press for the 700th anniversary of Dante’s death on 13th September 2021.)
Dante begins his journey by waking up in a dark wood. The air tastes bitter. He becomes fearful. Truth is out of reach. But his crisis is a turning point.
Many today, too, are waking up to something that's gone wrong. The air tastes bitter, people are fearful, truth is out of reach. We’re in a spiritual crisis. We must see the world afresh and understand. I believe Dante can help us discover how.
Canto 13 brings Virgil and Dante to an ugly wood. They hear wailing, though see no souls. Terrified, Dante snaps a twig under Virgil's instruction. They learn this round is full of people who killed themselves, a state of mind that causes Dante to tremble as it seems close to his heart.
There is an MP3 version of the talk, a sign up to the podcast version and receive notifications, and more at www.markvernon.com/dantes-divine-comedy.
I recommend the translation by Mark Musa in the Penguin Classics edition, both for its accessibility and notes.
The images that accompany my discussion are by Gustav Doré (in black and white) and William Blake (in colour).
