Jennifer Holberg – Dante Part 3

2025-11-01

What’s the significance of the griffin and the chariot in ‘Purgatorio’? Brent is joined by Jennifer Holberg to continue talking about Dante’s ‘The Divine Comedy’. This time they focus on ‘Purgatorio’. Jennifer is professor and chair of the English Department at Calvin University in the States and co-director of the Calvin Center for Faith and Writing. She’s also the author of the book ‘Nourishing Narratives’. (1:00) Spiritual pilgrimage in ‘Purgatorio’; (1:45) The structure of Purgatory; (6:30) What happens? (7:40) Pur...

What’s the significance of the griffin and the chariot in ‘Purgatorio’?

Brent is joined by Jennifer Holberg to continue talking about Dante’s ‘The Divine Comedy’. This time they focus on ‘Purgatorio’.

Jennifer is professor and chair of the English Department at Calvin University in the States and co-director of the Calvin Center for Faith and Writing. She’s also the author of the book ‘Nourishing Narratives’.

(1:00) Spiritual pilgrimage in ‘Purgatorio’;
(1:45) The structure of Purgatory;
(6:30) What happens?
(7:40) Purgatory’s rules;
(12:40) Sanctification;
(15:45) The idea of Purgatory;
(16:45) The people Dante meets;
(19:00) Dante’s sin;
(23:30) Virgil and Beatrice;
(26:00) The last canto.

Links mentioned in this episode:

World of Dante:

https://www.worldofdante.org/index.html)

Digital Dante:

https://digitaldante.columbia.edu/dante/divine-comedy

Dante Worlds:

https://danteworlds.laits.utexas.edu/

100 Days of Dante:

https://100daysofdante.com

Editions:

For all in one volume:

Mark Musa, ‘The Portable Dante’ (Penguin)

First rate notes:

Robert and Jean Hollander (Vintage/Anchor)

New poetic translation that retains the terza rima:

Michael Palma (Liveright)

Prose translation:

Charles S. Singleton (Princeton University Press)

Other notable translators:

Robin Kirkpatrick

John Ciarda

Allen Mandelbaum

Older translations by Dorothy L. Sayers

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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