CHAPTER 2. BEFORE UNDERSTANDING

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter I
2. FOREWORD V
3. A NOTE ON THE TRANSLATIONS IN THE TEXT VII
4. CONTENTS IX
5. PART ONE THE PATHOS OF EARTH (THE FIRST DAY: CANTOS I-IX)
6. CHAPTER 1. THE METAPHOR OF THE JOURNEY 3
7. CHAPTER 2. BEFORE UNDERSTANDING 14
8. CHAPTER 3. THE FINE VEIL OF POETRY 22
9. CHAPTER 4. CANTO IX: THE PROPHETIC FIRST NIGHT 30
10. CHAPTER 5. ON THE DRAMATIC COHERENCE OF THE CANTO 42
11. PART TWO. THE ANCIENT PATH TO SELF-KNOWLEDGE (THE SECOND DAY: CANTOS X-XVIII)
12. CHAPTER 6. VIRGIL'S GUIDANCE 49
13. CHAPTER 7. THE PATTERN OF LIBERATION 53
14. CHAPTER 8. CANTO XV: THE LIGHT OF THE MIND 63
15. CHAPTER 9. CANTO XVI: REASON IN DARKNESS 69
16. CHAPTER 10. CANTO XVII: THE ANALOGOUS FORMS OF HUMAN LOVES 80
17. CHAPTER 11. CANTO XVIII: THE FRUIT OF PHILOSOPHY 88
18. CHAPTER 12. ON INTERPRETING VIRGIL 99
19. PART THREE THE PILGRIM AGAINST TIME (THE THIRD DAY: CANTOS XIX-XXVII)
20. CHAPTER 13. THE NEW THIRST 107
21. CHAPTER 14. CANTO XXI: A GHOSTLY SCENE OF RECOGNITION 115
22. CHAPTER 15. THE NEW LIFE OF HISTORY 125
23. CHAPTER 16. THE FRAGRANT TREES: PARADOXES OF HUMAN NOURISHMENT 135
24. CHAPTER 17. CANTO XXV: THE PERILOUS PASSAGE 143
25. CHAPTER 18: THE DOLCE STIL NUOVO 151
26. CHAPTER 19. CANTO XXVII: LOVE'S SACRIFICE 161
27. PART FOUR TIME REDEEMED (THE MORNING OF THE FOURTH DAY: CANTOS XVIII-XXXIII)
28. CHAPTER 20. THE DEVELOPED FORM OF THE PURGATORIO 175
29. CHAPTER 21. BEATRICE: CENTER OF THE ALLEGORY 183
30. CHAPTER 22. THE POETRY OF THE END OF THE EARTHLY JOURNEY 194
31. CHAPTER 23. MATELDA: THE LETTER FOR THE SPIRIT 204
32. NOTES 217