The Love that Moves the Sun and the Other Stars: A New Project on Dante

La commedia illumina Firenze on the wall of Florence Cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore

Today is the 700th anniversary of the death of Dante Alighieri, possibly the greatest medieval poet. His works have been influential since their completion in the early 14th century. I have been teaching them in some form or another for the past 4 years and am preparing to embark on another round.

This year, however, I will be doing something a little different. I have decided to begin work on a new book of poetry. This book will be 100 poems reflecting on the 100 cantos of Dante’s Divine Comedy. Each poem will be 10 lines long and written in terra rima, the style Dante at least made famous if not invented himself.

I’ve written several poems in response to Dante’s great work, and many others have been influenced by him. But now, especially in light of this auspicious occasion of the septcentennial anniversary of Dante’s passing from this life and into the next, it seems time to embark on this new project. Please pray for me as I undertake it. And while I will not share every poem here, I will certainly be sharing some of them. So be on the look out. Until then, here’s a poem I wrote the first time I taught the whole Divine Comedy reflecting on Paradiso Canto 15.

Celestial grace bestowed beyond all measure
Has led me from the Sun to martial martyrs.
Before ascending I saw the one who’s treasure

Was wisdom circling in the fifth fire solar.
I pray to go on further, my vision increase
So that I might see the galaxy gleam,
To go to that vision, my only release.
But let me not ascend before the cross beam
With its iron nails is to my mind
Presented. I cannot go beyond this sphere
Until I remember his dearest words so kind,
Until this word, tetelestai, do I hear.
O then may I ascend to Jove the King.
The one whose made in kingly imaging.

---