After Dante's warning to his readers (or perhaps some of his readers), we return to the plot, ascending through the heavens to arrive at the moon . . . or really, in the moon.
Dante and Beatrice find themselves inside this translucent pearl in the heavens.
And in so doing, Dante proves the incarnation really happened . . . at least, if you accept that his journey really happened.
Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we explore the first of several complex passages in the second canto of PARADISO.
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Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:
[01:11] My English translation of PARADISO, Canto I, lines 19 - 45. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me, find the entry for this episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.
[03:12] Backgrounds: A brief history of "natural philosophy" in Dante's day.
[07:29] Backgrounds: The incarnation, of the prime methods of redemption for Dante.
[10:10] A thought experiment: the universe as a diaphanous, aesthetic object.
[12:20] The journey into the universe . . . or mystery (without spoilers).
[14:16] Hysteron proteron: the rhetorical flourish of PARADISO and the ultimate structure of COMEDY.
[17:16] Lots of joinings here and in Canto I, all anticipating the incarnation.
[18:37] The complex symbolism of the moon as a pearl.
[21:27] The incarnation in the foreground of the narrative.
[24:17] Dante's journey as proof of the incarnation.
[26:37] Rereading the passage: PARADISO, Canto II, lines 19 - 45.
