Reflections From HELL

"...and once more saw the stars." (Canto XXXIV. 140)

Dante's last words are ones of hope. After speaking solely of a dark physical and metaphorical journey through Hell, he ends the book knockin' on Heaven's door.
I was struck by the literary brilliance and creativity of this book. With the Inferno Dante has done what all fiction writer's strive to do - tell a true, personal story through symbolic characters and outright symbols. With this book Dante has given us a clear picture of how his world was like at the time. He speaks of the rampant sin and alludes to the abundant corruption of the church. He rejects what was than the common practice of "buying your way into Heaven," and instead asserts that it is only those who are truly faithful that ever make it to Heaven.
I was of course amazed at the sheer literary mastery of Dante, from his imagery and symbolism to his incorporation of other cultures and religions to his unbelievable ability to tell a compelling and emotionally evoking story. However, what truly hoarded the attention of my thoughts was the concept of eternity. That is undoubtedly the worst part of any and all of the sinners' punishment - the fact that it lasts forever. In all cases the souls of the sinners were condemned to their punishment for all eternity. This is an idea that transcends culture, religion, and time period in history. Through The Inferno Dante asserts that whatever we do in our time here on earth is merely an audition, a foundation, for what will happen to us for all eternity.
Even though I am not making an Oscar acceptance speech, I do feel compelled to thank Robert Pinsky for his brilliant translation. I have read several online translations, and none of them came close to matching Pinsky's effect. Through his translation, Pinsky for the most part maintains Dante's complex rhyme and meter scheme, and more importantly he re-creates Dante's vivid imagery and mastery of language to allow us to truly have our own vicarious journey through Hell.
As a final note, after traveling through Hell myself, I would just like to say, did Dante EVER EAT? Or SLEEP? I guess there wasn't much to eat, or many places to rest, but still, it seems kind of necessary. But anyways, after a healthy diet of metaphors and several nights dreaming about demons and punishments, I can proudly say I have survived to reach Heaven. Which in this case is poems about DEATH. Oh well....