Purgatorio (Barnes & Noble Classics)

From the abyssal depths of despair, a journey begins as one emerges onto the shores of a solitary island mountain, bathed in the soft, hopeful light of Easter dawn. Here, at the antipodes of Jerusalem, the air is clean, and the sky reveals four stars unseen since the dawn of man, a stark contrast to the eternal darkness just escaped. Guiding him is the venerable Virgil, his steadfast companion, as they encounter Cato, the guardian of this sacred realm, whose stern but just presence ushers them toward the path of purification.

The ascent commences through Ante-Purgatory, a sloping region where souls linger, awaiting their admittance to the true mountain. Here, the excommunicated, the indolent, and those who repented only at life's final hour must wait, some for a period equal to their earthly lives, before they can begin their active penance. Among these, one recognizes familiar faces, like the musician Casella, whose sweet song momentarily lulls the spirits before Cato's sharp rebuke reminds them of their arduous journey ahead. The sun, a constant metaphor for divine grace, marks the passage of time, for progress up the mountain ceases with its setting.

Through a gate guarded by an angel, etched with seven P's upon his forehead, signifying the seven deadly sins, the pilgrim enters Purgatory proper. The mountain is structured into seven terraces, each dedicated to the purification of a specific vice, understood not merely as actions but as distortions of love: pride, envy, wrath, sloth, avarice, gluttony, and lust. On the first terrace, the proud are bent low under immense stones, their necks bowed in humility, contemplating vivid examples of meekness carved into the marble.

As the journey continues, the pilgrim witnesses souls whose eyes are sewn shut with wire, purging the sin of envy as they listen to voices proclaiming examples of boundless charity. Higher still, the wrathful walk in a suffocating, blinding smoke, a penance for their clouded judgment, while visions of patience drift through the mist. The ascent is arduous, yet with each terrace, the burden lessens, and one of the P's on the pilgrim's brow fades, signifying the cleansing of a sin.

A pivotal moment arrives with the poet Statius, who joins the travelers, having completed his own long penance for avarice and prodigality. His release from the fifth terrace is marked by a tremor that shakes the entire mountain, a joyful sign that a soul has achieved the freedom of will necessary to desire Heaven. Statius, a secret Christian convert inspired by Virgil's words, now offers a living testament to the power of faith, enriching the discourse on divine love and the nature of sin.

Through the terraces of gluttony, where souls are emaciated by the sight of tempting fruits and waters, and lust, where they pass through purifying flames, the pilgrim endures the suffering alongside the penitents. With each step, the understanding deepens: all sins stem from a misdirected, deficient, or excessive love. The fires of lust, though terrifying, are a final cleansing, for Virgil assures him that Beatrice awaits just beyond.

Finally, at the summit, lies the Earthly Paradise, a lush, primordial forest, a realm of innocence and perfect harmony. Here, Virgil, representing human reason, must bid farewell, for his guidance can extend no further into the divine mysteries. A radiant procession unfolds, culminating in the appearance of Beatrice, cloaked in the colors of faith, hope, and charity. Her presence evokes a profound confession of past errors, a painful but necessary reckoning.

Beatrice, now the divine guide, leads the pilgrim to the rivers Lethe and Eunoe. First, he drinks from Lethe, washing away all memory of sin, and then from Eunoe, restoring the memory of every good deed. Reborn and purified, with a will now perfectly aligned with divine love, he is at last made worthy to ascend to the celestial spheres, ready to gaze upon the eternal light.