Racing Into the Light of Mercury: PARADISO, Canto V, Lines 85 - 114

About this episode

Dante and Beatrice now head to the second sphere of the heavens: Mercury's realm. Everything gets brighter. Desire gets more intense. And a crowd of souls appear, first as metaphors, then as brilliant lights, eager to see . . . maybe the pilgrim but maybe Beatrice. Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we explore our first moments in the second heaven of Paradiso. To help underwrite the many fees for this podcast, consider a one-time donation or a small monthly stipend using this PayPal link right here. Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE: [01:25] My English translation of PARADISO, Canto V, Lines 85 - 114. If you'd like to read along or drop a comment on this passage, please find the entry for this episode on my website, markscarbrough.com. [03:59] The increasing brightness of the second realm in Paradise. [07:49] The souls as fish in a pond: metaphoric sight before actual sight. [10:15] The tight poetic craft of using repeated words to link the tercets. [13:35] Splendors or shades: the souls in Mercury. [16:45] Increasing their loves . . . but how? [20:19] Self-conscious poetry that may alter the contract with its reader (or even break that contract).