Now of that second kingdom I shall sing where human souls are purified of sin and made worthy to ascend to Heaven' Purgatory is the second part of Dante's The Divine Comedy ascending the terraces of the Mount of Purgatory inhabited by those doing penance to expiate their sins on earth. There are the proud - forced to circle their terrace for aeons bent double in humility; the slothful - running around crying out examples of zeal and sloth; while the lustful are purged by fire. Though less well-known than Inferno, Purgatory has inspired many writers including, in our century, Samuel Beckett, and has played a key role in literature.
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[To run through better waters the little ship of / my wit now hoists its sails, leaving behind a sea so cruel / and I will sing of that second realm where the / human spirit purges itself and becomes worthy to / ascend to heaven CANTO I]***
(@NaxosAudioBooks, 1 March 1998, first published 1316, audiobook, 4 hours 33 minutes, borrowed from @natpoetrylib via @OverDriveLibs, translated by Benedict Flynn, read by @hcwms)
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I enjoyed this second book in The Divine Comedy as much as Inferno. I have placed the final book, Paradise on reserve at the library and hope to listen to it soon. I am definitely going to buy a decent copy to read and study the poem in more detail. I didn't have access to any notes as I listened to this on audio but think I would benefit from these as there's so much going on here, so many characters, historical and mythological. Like Inferno, this is packed with so much dense and beautiful imagery. I got lost in it several times. I understand why The Divine Comedy is still a source of inspiration today.
