1993 Articles

"Why Did Dante Write the Commedia?" or the Vision Thing

Barolini, Teodolinda

The simple answer to this question is Dante's own: "Però, in pro del mondo che mal vive, / al carro tieni or li occhi, e quel che vedi, / ritornato di là, fa che tu scrive" (Purg. XXXII, 103-105). Exchanging the chariot with any of the other sights that the pilgrim encounters on his journey, any of the other cose nove he sees along the way, we get an answer to our query: on behalf of the world that lives evilly, keep your eyes on what is in front of you, and that which you see--once you return to earth--be sure to write down.