Mile-High Poetics In The Service Of Rank Vulgarity: Inferno, Canto XXI, Line 127 - Canto XXII, Line 12
Walking With Dante · Mark Scarbrough
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Show Notes
Evil Tail has mustered his regiment of insane demons. They're ready to start out, leading our pilgrim, Dante, and his guide, Virgil, along the cliff to the next available bridge.
Yet our pilgrim has some quibbles. As well he should have. And Virgil is confident. As well he should be. And the whole thing collapses into irony along with the most adolescent humor in COMEDY.
Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as COMEDY goes as low as it can in this episode from the fifth of the malebolge, the pit of the political grifters in the eighth circle of hell, the rings of fraud.
Here are the segments of this episode of the podcast WALKING WITH DANTE:
[02:13] My English translation of Inferno, Canto XXI, line 127 through Canto XXII, line 12. If you'd like to read long, you can find this translation on my website, markscarbrough.com.
[04:37] Who knows more about demons, a pagan poet or a Christian pilgrim? The answer is not as easy as you might think.
[10:36] The low point of comedy (and of COMEDY): complete vulgarity.
[12:04] The mock simile about knights and raiding parties and ships setting sail that begins Canto XXII.
[17:07] The mock simile that opens Canto XXII v. the very serious simile that opens this whole episode in Canto XXI.