More Literature: Hell & Dante's Divine Comedy

Dante Alighieri was born in 1265 and died in 1321. He wrote the Divine Comedy, a poem that is one of the most famous ever written. It is difficult to go through high school and college without hearing about it.

Dante lived in Florence, Italy, a city that was one of the most powerful in the World. It was powerful in terms of money, political power, and wealthy families. Dante found himself in trouble with the powerful people of Florence and found himself driven out of the city that he loved. He wrote a poem about his feelings toward those responsible for making his life very difficult. He followed an idea first written by a Roman poet by the name of Virgil.

The setting takes place in the afterlife. He, as a mortal, is allowed to view what the afterlife is about. The most intriguing trip takes him to Hell, where he places many of the villains of history suffering outrageous punishments for all eternity. He also puts people who lived in Florence during his own time as sufferers in the Hell that he created.

Dante's Hell was shaped like a cone or a triangle. The highest part of Hell (and also the widest), is inhabited by the people whose sins are the least serious but still bad enough to put them into Hell. The bottom (or the narrowest point of the cone) is the closest to the Devil himself. Very few people inhabit this area. Their sins were the worst and they suffer the greatest torments. I have supplied you with the ninth circle, where the worst of the worst live out their torments closest to the Devil himself. I also included those who sinned against gluttony- those who eat too much and take too much from the world without giving anything back.

I want you, in three to four pages, to describe the suffering that takes place in each level and then tell why you think the ninth level is definitely the worst. I hope you enjoy Hell, and it may even keep you warm during these very cold days of MN winter.

Dante's Divine Comedy
Canto XI
Canto XXXIV



T.S. Eliot, The Wasteland

Passing of a most unique mother

Mrs. M.P. (Lorraine) Rinde

Lorraine M. Rinde, age 86, of Faribault, was born April 9, 1921 as a defiant three-pound preemie and continued her non-conformist life until she died Thursday, December 20, 2007 at the Infinia at Faribault Care Center following a brief illness. She was a diligent worker, politically incorrect, lover of books, purveyor of music, good mommy, spectator of all sports, Czech-heritage promoter, political activist, church worshipper, independent thinker, poor joke re-teller, obliging helpmate, wearer of color, avid stroller, freethinker, brimstone retorter, compassionate heart, contradictory responder, early riser, homespun philosopher, school savior, green-thumbed resuscitator, depression-raised saver, match maker, defiant general, friend maker, and an eccentric granny to many.
Lorraine Marie Vosejpka, the daughter of Benjamin and Frances (Novak) Vosejpka, was born on April 9, 1921 in Lonsdale, MN. She attended Catholic school in Lonsdale and graduated from Montgomery High School. She was married to Avery Fenne on November 20, 1941. They had a son, Terry. They were later divorced. On December 29, 1960, she was married to Martin P. Rinde on December 29, 1960 in Sioux Falls, SD. He preceded her in death on January 14, 1973. Lorraine worked for North American Life Insurance in Minneapolis, for Dr. L. B. Kucera in Lonsdale, as a bookkeeper at Webster Co-Op Dairy, for 15 years as operations clerk at Northern States Power in Faribault, and most currently a paper “girl” for the Faribault Daily News. She was a member of St. Lawrence CCW, was past Vice-President of the District One Hospital Auxiliary, 4-H leader, and was a very active member of the Faribault Area Senior Center. At the Senior Center she was the director of the SEMCAC Kitchen Band and leader of the senior exercise classes for many years.
She is survived by her son, Terry Fenne (and Elizabeth Lonetti) of Minneapolis; two step-daughters, Toni (and Harold) Amundson of Florida, and Karen (and Gerald) Flom of Prior Lake, MN; brother, Richard B. (and Lois) Vosejpka of Excelsior, MN; six grandchildren (Christine, Terry Jr., Gina, Aimee, Kendra, and Patrick); five great grandchildren; five step grandchildren; several step great grandchildren; and other relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and former husband.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, December 26, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. at the Parker Kohl Funeral Home in Faribault. Interment will be at the Meadow Ridge Memorial Park in Faribault.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the funeral home. Bring a good story and a kazoo.

Literature Requirements

I apologise for not writing for a week on this blog. Events have robbed me of the time that is needed to properly keep giving you what is needed.

The following is what will be needed to complete this semester in the area of literature. Read each piece and tell me what you think the author intended to deliver to the reader when it was written. A paragraph or two (at least eight sentences) should be devoted to the task. You can also point out some of the things that you found interesting or not when you read the poem. Talk about its rhyme (if there is) and the rhythym. Have this completed by the end of the first week that you come back from school. I would suggest that you start it now.

Dylan Thomas, Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
Robert Frost, Design
Gary Soto, Oranges
Edgar Allen Poe, The Raven
Joy Harjo, The Woman Hanging From the Thirteenth Floor Window
Gwendolyn Brooks, We Real Cool
Langston Hughes, Dream Boogie
Sharon Olds, The Death of Marilyn Monroe
John Updike, Dog's Death
James Thurber, The Girl and the Wolf

Sugar

Sugar. Name a million uses for sugar, or maybe just ten- I bet you could do twenty. Where does it come from? What is it put into? And why is it so valuable? What are its pluses and what are its minuses? Sugar.

And there it is. See you tomorrow at 10:00 with bells on.

December 4th Schedule

Tomorrow, December 4, we will talk about the movie we saw last Thursday. We could also talk about the snow, but unless you are a skiier, you probably aren't iterested. We will be looking at the movie in relationship to our work in Philosophy. Possible questions would include:

• does the end justify the means?
• do all people make bad choices some of the time?
  
• was everyone in the movie guilty of making at least one unethical choice?

Also, don't forget the Gilgamesh reading is due Tuesday as well!

It looks like more snow tomorrow; winter is here.

What are the Twins going to get for Santana?

Have a nice evening!

Terry