A little-studied epic piece of poetry
Reviewed originally on Goodreads, March 16, 2014.
The main thing I learned is that the best time to read (or reread) this classic is during Lent. Who knew?
Like the rest of the Commedia, the poem is meticulously structured. The three parts are the arrival at Mount Purgatory (the only landmass opposite the inhabited continents of the known Earth), then the climb up the mountain around the seven cornices of purification, then the allegorical pageant of the blessed in the Earthly Paradise. Unlike the descent into Hell, Dante and Virgil complete their ascent over the course of a few days after Easter AD 1300, and because they may not make upward progress while the Sun is down, there are enforced rest (and dream) periods. This time when Dante interviews the souls they have an orientation toward Heaven; they are already saved, and submit to their trials voluntarily, as a sort of ultimate self-improvement. The stories are sometimes quite similar to what we saw in Inferno, with the addition of a sincere repentance and absolution at the end. At the same time, Dante the pilgrim is changing, having his sins erased from his brow as he grows lighter and lighter on his trip up the mountain. The way Dante understands what he sees when he arrives in Eden is Scholastic, not psychological, and it takes a fair amount of exertion to get into the proper frame of mind to appreciate the symbols and allusions packed into these scenes. This kind of work is not for everyone, probably, but there are moments of great beauty for the reader who can make the journey.<br/>
Additional note, September, 2026: This last Lent I decided to reread this unrhymed verse translation. I kept the Penguin edition of the Purgatorio translated by John Ciardi in the 1950s close by which I had a dozen or more years ago. It was useful because it had more extensive notes on what the Merwin edition leaves obscure. But the newer unrhymed translation had the medieval Italian on the facing page which was equally as helpful to understand what was going on. Because I had read the canticle before, I knew I was in for an entertaining ascent of Mt. Purgatory capped by a baffling allegory in the Earthly Paradise on the summit. Unlike Inferno, there's a strong sense of progress, motion intended to accomplish something, and the souls here aren't as delusional or vicious as the damned ones. After hundreds of circles or more, they will eventually be purged of their sins and move up to the next terrace when the angel allows them to advance. While Virgil is still guiding Dante, he is less in his element never having set foot this realm before, yet still a steady companion for Dante. Instead of the grotesque, the poetry tries to evoke the things that are fine and grand along the way, and at moments the reader can also feel lifted up as though they too were becoming refined.<br/>
This middle section of the Commedia is my favorite because it has less gore than Inferno and fewer static tableaux than Paradiso. The mountain on the far side of the Earth is a temporary place, unlike the other two realms, where after the Last Judgement the last person will begin their ascent, and in some distant future the last one will depart to join the other blessed.<br/>