Reading Notes: Inferno, Part B

More reading Notes for Week 15!

Bibliography: Notes are on the Dante's Inferno unit. Story source: Dante's Divine Comedy, translated by Tony Kline (2002).

Last reading notes ever for this class! Wow! I've enjoyed doing these. I'll be focusing on powerful, strong, and beautiful sentences/chunks of writing again for Part B.

Near the middle of the second part of the unit, I came across this sentence, as Dante enters the third ring (which represents those who were violent against God): "O God's vengeance, how what was shown to my sight should be feared, by all who read!"

This sentence is a great example of engaging a reader in the action by referencing them. This exclamatory sentence alerts the reader to pay attention to this ring of hell, as it is particularly to "be feared." A sentence like this often indicates a new section of a story and can excite readers.

Another great example of a strong sentence came in canto 14, where Dante says that "We came, in silence, to the place where a little stream gushes from the wood, the redness of which still makes me shudder."

This sentence is a beautiful description of the setting. Dante describes his approach to the location before discussing the location itself. Not only is a description of the color given, but also how the color makes Dante feel. This type of sentence is a compelling piece of writing to weave into the broader action of a plot. 

Another powerful sentence appears under the subheading "Ulysses's last voyage" towards the end of the unit. The author writes that the "greater horn of the ancient flame started to shake itself, murmuring like a flame struggling in the wind."

The vivid detail included in this sentence demands a reaction from its readers. The use of "murmuring" as a a metaphorical action verb is interesting and original, as Dante paints an intense image in the minds of readers. I hope to use powerful language like this in my stories.

In my own writing, I want to master the use of symbolism and imagery like Dante. This was a great unit to end the class readings on! Hopefully I'll have the opportunity to take notes like these in other classes, focusing on my favorite parts and analyzing what made them work so well.

Gustave Doré's illustration to Inferno, Plate LXV: Canto XXXI: The titans and giants.

Originally from 1857. Source: Wikimedia