#177. "Purgatorio" by Dante Alighieri

When readers last saw Dante Alighieri, he had written the fictitious masterpiece "Inferno." Having traveled through hell, he now finds himself at the middle chapter of his acclaimed "The Divine Comedy." On his journey to paradise, he must first stop over in purgatory and resist an endless array of temptations. Much like his previous entry, there is an emphasis on circular designs and the number nine. A lot of the stanzas favor this structure, allowing a journey that feels rigid and purposeful as Dante travels upwards towards the skies while discovering the familiar row of conflicts that he had met throughout "Inferno." The major difference this time is that there's more temptations less defined by sins and more earthly passions. While "Inferno" has garnered its reputation as the most popular poem, "Purgatorio" deserves consideration for pushing the boundaries even further, creating an experience that is more speculative and, most of all, optimistic. It's a story about the grand beauty of life, and this is secretly the most exciting chapter.
In order to proceed to paradise, Dante must travel upward. The nine levels of purgatory come with the familiar structure of stopping to observe the oddities and question what their larger meaning is. Where "Inferno" was more about suffering, "Purgatorio" celebrates life as something more desirable. It's here that some of his most vivid imagery comes through, finding passionate figures frolicking among nature and creating a more compelling reason to stop and just enjoy life. Even if the reader knows the journey is far from over, this mountain climbing is a perplexing journey into Dante's mind. It's less defined by name dropping historical figures and more attempting to understand abstract ideas. While most have been deciphered, there are still those obtuse chapters that nobody has fully figured out. It adds to the mystery of the larger world and prepares readers for an even more abstract journey in "Paradiso."

Most of all, this is the poem that lays out the spiritual fulfillment that Dante is striving for. Along with his journey into the odd corners of his philosophical worldview, the reader is introduced to the biggest twist. Somewhere amid all of the suffering, Dante's romantic side takes hold as he explores a life with a woman who will become crucial to the rest of the text. The real-life story adds its own mix of bittersweetness with creepiness as Dante was said to have had a deep infatuation with a woman he only met a few times decades before writing "The Divine Comedy." Seeing this as wish fulfillment has its odd triumph and makes one question how much of this is pseudo-autobiography wrapped up in a fictional recreation of religious iconography.

More than anything, "Purgatorio" is a poem that develops a passion for life. The epic scope of the trilogy allows for the minutiae of life to be projected against forces outide of our control. It's easy to get lost in what does and doesn't matter. For Dante, that's done by trying to comprehend the plight of man while attempting to understand what drives us forward in a personal quest for heaven. While the previous chapter is more accessible and hte latter is more creatively esoteric, "Purgatorio" is the perfect centerpiece that manages to feel normal with hints of otherworldly potential. There's a lot of reason to question why Dante felt he was worthy of being the hero in this story, but that's to ignore his literary feat. Few works of written word match the appeal of "The Divine Comedy," and that's likely to remain true. Many have written about their time in purgatory, but nobody has with as much exponential awe as Dante.