From the Purgatorio of Dante, Canto 28, Lines 1-51

Quiz: From the Purgatorio of Dante, Canto 28, Lines 1–51 — Percy Bysshe Shelley

1. Recall – Form & Origin: What is the nature of this poem, and who is the original author of the source text that Shelley worked from?

1. Recall – Publication History: The poem was not published in Shelley's lifetime. When was it first published in fragments, and by whom was it published in full, and in what year?

1. Recall – Setting: Where, within Dante's cosmology, does the pilgrim find himself at the opening of the poem? What does this location symbolize?

1. Recall – Key Image: What paradoxical quality does Shelley assign to the stream that blocks the pilgrim's path, and what is the symbolic identity of this stream in Dante's original work?

1. Comprehension – The Solitary Woman: How is the mysterious woman first encountered, and what two activities is she engaged in when the pilgrim sees her? What does the pilgrim ask of her?

1. Comprehension – The Proserpine Allusion: Who is Proserpine, and why is the comparison drawn between her and the woman in the poem? What emotion does this allusion introduce into the poem's closing moments?

1. Analysis – Tone: The analysis describes the poem's tone as "hushed and reverent." Identify TWO specific details from the forest scene — one relating to movement and one relating to sound — that support this characterization.

1. Analysis – Symbolism of the Eastward-Leaning Leaves: What do the leaves bending toward the sunrise symbolize in the context of this sacred forest, and how does this image reflect one of the poem's broader themes?

1. Analysis – The Birdsong: According to the analysis, what quality of existence does the birdsong represent in this sacred space, and how does it contribute to the poem's overall atmosphere?

1. Analysis – Beauty and Loss: The analysis argues that beauty and loss are "always closely connected" in this poem. Using the woman gathering flowers and the Proserpine allusion as evidence, explain how the poem develops this idea thematically.

Answer Key

1. The poem is a translation — Shelley's rendering of the opening lines of Canto 28 from Dante Alighieri's Purgatorio.

1. It was first published in fragments by Thomas Medwin in 1834 and published in full by Richard Garnett in 1862.

1. The pilgrim stands at the summit of Purgatory, entering a divine forest that represents the Earthly Paradise — a restored Eden, a place of perfect, unspoiled nature signaling the near-completion of the pilgrim's ascent.

1. The stream is described as both dark and completely clear — dark because no sunlight or moonlight ever penetrates the perpetual shade above it, yet transparent in its purity. In Dante's original, this is the river Lethe, which erases the memory of sin.

1. The woman appears suddenly and alone, singing and gathering flowers one after another. The pilgrim calls out to her gently, noting the joy and love in her expression, and invites her to move closer to the bank so he can hear her song.

1. Proserpine (Persephone) was picking flowers in a meadow at Enna in Sicily when Pluto abducted her to the underworld, causing spring to vanish from the earth. The comparison is drawn because the woman is similarly gathering flowers in a meadow-like paradise, echoing the image of innocent beauty on the brink of loss. This allusion introduces a touch of gentle melancholy into the poem's conclusion.

1. For movement: the pilgrim's pace is described as slow and soft, reflecting careful reverence. For sound: the birds sing undisturbed in the canopy, their song contributing to a hushed, harmonious stillness rather than noise or excitement.

1. The eastward-leaning leaves symbolize spiritual orientation — a natural turning toward God and divine light. This reflects the poem's theme of redemption and spiritual journey, suggesting that even the landscape of Purgatory is oriented toward grace and enlightenment.

1. The birdsong represents pure, effortless joy — the kind of happiness found in a place free from sin or suffering. It blends with the rustling leaves to create a natural melody that deepens the enchanted, tranquil atmosphere of the divine forest.

1. The woman gathering flowers embodies beauty and innocent joy, but her activity directly echoes Proserpine's flower-gathering, which immediately preceded abduction and eternal loss. By closing with the Proserpine allusion, the poem implies that the most radiant moments of beauty are shadowed by the possibility of their sudden end — establishing beauty and sorrow as inseparable companions throughout the poem.