From the Paper
"In The Cantos Ezra Pound wrote a poem in which he tried to include the whole world. He used many languages, ideas from many traditions, and quotations from some of the greatest works of literature. In the first group of poems, which are called A Draft of XXX Cantos, Pound begins with Greek literature and goes to Chinese philosophy and then to nineteenth-century economic ideas. Canto I is about Odysseus and his men who are involved in one of their adventures from Homer's Odyssey, the ancient Greek poem that was the first work of European literature. Canto XIII deals with a conversation between the Chinese philosopher Kung (another way of saying Confucius) and some of his followers. The teachings, or sayings, of Confucius are the basis of a whole way of thinking and believing in many parts of Asia. Canto XIX is set in modern times and the narrator and an American businessman ..."

Abstract
This paper is a summary of Canto XV of the "Inferno" section of the "Divine Comedy", based on the translation by John Ciardi. In particular, the paper details this section of the work expressed in verse, with six three-line stanzas to explain the canto as well as possible. It also shows how Dante moved through this part of Hell and met an old teacher who told him about others in this part of Hell.

From the Paper
"While walking along the shore of the stream Dante meets Brunetto, one of the shades Who must keep moving or burn, and so Walks with Dante and hears his tale, Then praises Dante and sees his future As Dante recalls Brunetto's past. Brunetto taught Dante in life, and now He can do so in death, while Dante has no fear Of the future revealed to him. Dante grows more curious and wants to know..."

Tags:divine, comedy, summary

Abstract
This paper concerns the fourth chapter, or canto, of the second book in the "Divina Commedia" of Dante, the "Purgatorio". It concerns the ascent of the main characters to the realm of the indolent, where reside the repentant souls of those who were too lazy to convert before their last days. God is making them wait before they are admitted to paradise, just like they made him wait for their conversion. The paper concerns the way in which Dante uses abnormal physical laws to make the mythological space of the Commedia just weird enough to be believed. Current findings in the anthropology of religion are cited to support the need for odd, un-earthly aspects of supernatural systems like those involved in the afterlife.

Abstract
The paper looks at the compelling epic simile used in Canto 12, in which Dante compares a bull on the way to slaughter to the dreaded Minotaur, that Dante must face on his way to Paradise. The paper explains how using a bull as the symbol of the beast allows the reader to immediately understand the violence and force of the Minotaur. It also discusses the knowledge that Dante must gain during his journey in order for him to achieve victory.

From the Paper
"Another analogy also fits the image of the bull that gains strength in the last minutes of life, and fits the image of the Minotaur, half bull, and half man. Bulls are notoriously violent, they charge at the least little thing, and are not known for their brains. They are also hopelessly lost outside of their element, as the "bull in the china shop" analogy clearly shows. Thus, this "bull man" that is the Minotaur can be overcome when it is outside its element, where it is no longer comfortable. Remove this ultimate beast from its position in the labyrinth, and you will have the upper hand, as Dante and his guide discover. Therefore, the Minotaur serves yet another purpose in Dante's growing knowledge as he moves along the pathway toward Paradise. The Minotaur shows that the violence of the Minotaur is a result of his environment and his comfort level, and if these are removed, the Minotaur is vulnerable. This is a valuable lesson in life, for it shows how even the most violent among us use their environment as a shield to hide their vulnerability."

Tags:labyrinth, guardian, rage, Beatrice, Lucifer

Abstract
This paper describes the author's creative essay entitled "Another Canto in Hell: Hypocrisy" which is based on Dante Alighieri's poem, "The Divine Comedy." The author notes that although the cantos of hell described in the" Inferno" portion of the poem often coincide with instances of hypocrisy, the author suggests that a circle just for hypocrites would be fitting, especially in our current political and economic times.

From the Paper
" 'The Divine Comedy' is a seminal work of both Italian and world literature. Though the cantos of hell described in the Inferno portion of the poem often coincide with instances of hypocrisy, (I'm thinking of the eighth circle with punishes those who are fraudulent or treacherous) I think that a circle just for hypocrites would be fitting, especially in our current political and economic times. The canto of Hypocrisy would tell of the people who have been hypocritical in their lives. To get to this rung, one would descend into a hall of mirrors, much like a carnival hall of mirrors that people go through for..."

Tags:canto, dante, inferno

Abstract
This paper details two cantos from the tale of Dante's "Inferno" and attempts to derive how accomplished a writer Dante actually was because of his use of imagination and reality through a review of Cantos Five and Thirteen. It assesses Dante's skill in telling his story by tying together his vivid imagination with his ability to describe people realistically. It shows how, in Dante's hell, the sins of the individual souls describe both how the individuals lived their lives before death and how they will spend eternity after death and how Dante's imagination mixed with reality made his tormented characters believable and opened a window into their lives.

From the Paper
"Dante had a definite interplay between reality and imagination. For example, one would think that with the many tortures and the constant torment, these levels of hell would reek horrendously. Although not from either Canto five or thirteen, this example demonstrates how the author combined real and imagined to describe the smell of hell and his imagination makes it very real. "Dante arrives at the verge of a rocky precipice which encloses the seventh circle, where he sees the sepulcher of Anastasius the heretic; behind the lid of which pausing a little, to make himself capable by degrees of enduring the fetid smell that steamed upward from the abyss, he is instructed by Virgil concerning the manner in which the three following circles are disposed, and what description of sinners is punished in each." (DANTE) Dante captures the stench precisely."

Tags:hell, imagination, death, reality

Abstract
This paper analyzes Cantos 18 through 23 from Dante's Inferno. Canto 18 of Dante's Inferno describes the eighth circle of hell. This circle is surrounded by ten concentric rounds surrounded by grey stony peaks and cliffs. There is a big pit in the center of the rounds, and bridges connecting the rounds, so that it all looks like the spokes of a wheel with a hollow pit in the center of it all.

Tags:analysis, dante's, inferno

Abstract
This paper critiques Dante?s writing style and the symbolism found within Canto Number Five of ?The Inferno?. The paper follows the character of Virgil as he tours Hell and meets its inhabitants.

Tags:critique, hell, summary, virgil, dante, inferno

From the Paper
Of the great modernist poets, Ezra Pound stands apart as the most elliptical. His omnivorous learning, obscure allusions and frequent obtuseness make much of his work inaccessible to the general reader. For Pound's poetry to be readily understood, if such a thing is possible, a reader ought to be familiar with Eastern and Western philosophies, politics, history, several languages and the poet's own life. Even then, comprehending Pound's meaning in a given poem requires diligence and a willingness to allow for great ambiguity. His central work, the Cantos, represents Pound's greatest achievement, containing his most profound comments on the world and his art in all their learned and abstruse glory.
Within this collection of poems, Pound sought to trace the world's history using a Ulyssean/Dantesque framework. The poet..."

Abstract
The essay provides a deep analysis of Canto V of Dante's Inferno. It studies Francesca and Paolo, their sin, Dante's reaction to Francesca's story, and the various interpretations critics have of Canto V. The significance of Francesca's presence in this Canto and the themes that come through in her speech and interaction with Dante are important to the Divine Comedy as a whole. The essay explores the significance of Canto V in regard to Dante's views on love, sin, pleasure and discusses the 'dolce stil novo' movement of the time. It also looks at the various interpretations that the Canto has inspired among critics. Francesca has been seen as both gentle and innocent, and as a deceptive maipulator. Dante the pilgrim's sympathy is explained in regard to Dante the poet's desire to express messages to the reader.

From the Paper
"Dante's representation of Francesca da Rimini in his Inferno is a crucial scene of interaction. Her (mis) use of the language of the thirteenth century movement, Dolce Stil Novo, exposes Dante the Poet's thoughts on love through the reactions that her lyrical speech invokes in Dante the Pilgrim. The dramatic effect Francesca's tale has on Dante serves to reveal his naivety and amateur ability to judge sin, and thus highlight the difference between Francesca and Beatrice, the latter of which is consequently presented as the epitome of ethereal grace and spirituality. Dante's encounter with Francesca is found in Canto V of the Inferno, the first realm after Limbo (Canto VI) and the entrance to Hell Proper. Francesca is the first soul with whom the pilgrim speaks. The second circle, in which she and her lover Paolo reside, is that of "i pecator carnali/che la ragion sommettono al talento" (5: 38-39), and her sin that of adultery."

Tags:beatrice, commentry, five, italian, love