PURGATORIO XXVIII. 1-33. by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
This is Longfellow's English translation of the first 33 lines of Canto XXVIII from Dante's *Purgatorio*, where the pilgrim Dante enters the Earthly Paradise — the Garden of Eden — at the summit of Mount Purgatory.
The poem
Longing already to search in and round The heavenly forest, dense and living-green, Which tempered to the eyes the newborn day, Withouten more delay I left the bank, Crossing the level country slowly, slowly, Over the soil, that everywhere breathed fragrance. A gently-breathing air, that no mutation Had in itself, smote me upon the forehead, No heavier blow, than of a pleasant breeze, Whereat the tremulous branches readily Did all of them bow downward towards that side Where its first shadow casts the Holy Mountain; Yet not from their upright direction bent So that the little birds upon their tops Should cease the practice of their tuneful art; But with full-throated joy, the hours of prime Singing received they in the midst of foliage That made monotonous burden to their rhymes, Even as from branch to branch it gathering swells, Through the pine forests on the shore of Chiassi, When Aeolus unlooses the Sirocco. Already my slow steps had led me on Into the ancient wood so far, that I Could see no more the place where I had entered. And lo! my further course cut off a river, Which, tow'rds the left hand, with its little waves, Bent down the grass, that on its margin sprang. All waters that on earth most limpid are, Would seem to have within themselves some mixture, Compared with that, which nothing doth conceal, Although it moves on with a brown, brown current, Under the shade perpetual, that never Ray of the sun lets in, nor of the moon.
This is Longfellow's English translation of the first 33 lines of Canto XXVIII from Dante's *Purgatorio*, where the pilgrim Dante enters the Earthly Paradise — the Garden of Eden — at the summit of Mount Purgatory. He strolls through a vibrant, ancient forest, feels a soft breeze, hears the songs of birds, and eventually halts at a crystal-clear river that he cannot cross. It's a moment filled with wonder and arrival: after ascending all of Purgatory, Dante has finally reached the threshold of paradise.
Line-by-line
Longing already to search in and round / The heavenly forest, dense and living-green,
Withouten more delay I left the bank, / Crossing the level country slowly, slowly,
A gently-breathing air, that no mutation / Had in itself, smote me upon the forehead,
Whereat the tremulous branches readily / Did all of them bow downward towards that side
Yet not from their upright direction bent / So that the little birds upon their tops
But with full-throated joy, the hours of prime / Singing received they in the midst of foliage
Even as from branch to branch it gathering swells, / Through the pine forests on the shore of Chiassi,
Already my slow steps had led me on / Into the ancient wood so far, that I
And lo! my further course cut off a river, / Which, tow'rds the left hand, with its little waves,
All waters that on earth most limpid are, / Would seem to have within themselves some mixture,
Tone & mood
The tone is both reverent and quietly ecstatic. Longfellow's translation captures Dante's sense of awe — the pilgrim moves slowly, takes in every detail, and speaks with the careful attention of someone aware they are in a remarkable place. There's no anxiety present, just a profound, almost meditative tranquility, interrupted by bursts of joy, like the songs of birds and the sight of the river. The language is elevated yet warm; it feels like someone recounting a dream they are still partially experiencing.
Symbols & metaphors
- The heavenly forest — The forest is like the Earthly Paradise — a restored Garden of Eden, waiting at the top of Mount Purgatory. It symbolizes the original innocence that humanity lost during the Fall, which the soul can regain through the process of purgation.
- The constant breeze — The steady, unchanging wind indicates that Dante has moved beyond the turbulent lower atmosphere. In medieval cosmology, the air above a certain height was seen as pure and undisturbed. This breeze serves as a physical sign of spiritual elevation — the world here follows different, more perfect rules.
- The singing birds — The birds embody pure joy in its most vibrant form, untouched by sin or suffering. Their melodic songs serve as a celebration, and the way they continue to sing while the branches sway implies that genuine joy is strong—it doesn’t need perfect calm to thrive.
- The river — The river that blocks Dante's path is the Lethe, known as the river of forgetting in classical mythology. According to Dante, drinking from it wipes away the memory of sin. It serves as both a barrier and a promise — you must pass through it before entering the higher paradise.
- The brown current in perpetual shade — The river's dark color, despite being perfectly clear, creates a paradox that highlights the limits of human understanding. It's pure, yet it exists beyond the reach of natural light—neither the sun nor the moon can penetrate this space. It belongs to a different realm of reality.
- The pine forests of Chiassi — The reference to a real Italian coastal forest near Ravenna connects the supernatural scene to actual experience. It also serves as a subtle autobiographical touch: Dante spent years in exile close to Ravenna, and this memory of a cherished place holds both a deep longing for home and an appreciation for the beauty of the present moment.
Historical context
Dante Alighieri finished the *Divine Comedy* around 1320, shortly before he passed away. The *Purgatorio* is the second part of the work, focusing on the pilgrim Dante's journey up a mountain where souls cleanse themselves of sins before reaching Heaven. Canto XXVIII begins at the top of the mountain, where the Earthly Paradise — Eden — is found. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a well-known American poet from the 19th century, dedicated years to translating the *Comedy*, which he published in 1867. He embarked on this project partly to cope with the grief of losing his wife in 1861, turning it into a form of spiritual practice. His translation is praised for its adherence to Dante's terza rima structure and its dignified, somewhat old-fashioned English style, which seeks to maintain the gravity of the original Italian.
FAQ
It is a translation. Longfellow is translating Canto XXVIII, lines 1–33 of Dante's *Purgatorio* into English. The concepts, imagery, and story are all Dante's; Longfellow's role is to skillfully convey them in 19th-century English while remaining as true as possible to the original structure and meaning.
Dante has just climbed to the top of Mount Purgatory, a mountain located in the southern hemisphere, directly across from Jerusalem in his view of the cosmos. At the summit lies the Earthly Paradise — the Garden of Eden, which Dante envisions as still existing, untouched and perfect, awaiting souls who have finished their time in purgatory.
It is the Lethe, the classic river of forgetfulness. In Dante's tale, souls drink from it to erase the memory of their sins before they ascend to Heaven. There's also a second river in the Earthly Paradise, the Eunoe, which brings back the memory of good deeds. Dante will encounter both rivers before the *Purgatorio* concludes.
The river flows in constant shade — sunlight and moonlight never touch its surface. Its dark brown color results from the shadows, not from any impurities in the water. Dante emphasizes that this darkness isn't a sign of corruption; it's merely a lack of external light. The water is completely clear; it just doesn't have light to reflect.
Chiassi (Classe) is a coastal area close to Ravenna in northern Italy, known for its beautiful pine forests. Dante spent his final years in exile in Ravenna and was familiar with this landscape. By likening the supernatural forest of Eden to a real Italian forest he cherished, Dante creates an emotionally impactful scene. This simile is among his most celebrated, connecting the divine with the specific details he recalls.
Longfellow admired Dante for many years, but he fully committed to the translation after his wife Fanny died in a fire in 1861 — he sustained serious burns while trying to save her. As he worked through the *Comedy*, which tells a story of moving through suffering toward light, he found it helped him cope with his grief. He also formed a group of friends, known as the Dante Club, to review each canto upon completion.
'Prime' is one of the canonical hours of the medieval Christian day, corresponding to about 6 a.m. — the first hour of daylight. The birds sing to welcome the dawn. Dante organizes much of the *Comedy* around specific times of day, and this detail situates the scene in the early morning, enhancing the imagery of new beginnings and innocence.
Dante's original poem employs *terza rima*, a three-line rhyme scheme (ABA BCB CDC, etc.) that connects the entire work in a continuous flow. Longfellow opted not to mirror this rhyme scheme in English; instead, he used blank verse. He believed that trying to fit Dante's precise rhymes into English often resulted in clumsy, distorted lines. For him, capturing the meaning accurately and creating a natural rhythm took precedence over adhering to the rhyme.