Juxtaposition In Dante's Inferno

One of the largest punishments of being sent to hell is that one is then forgotten on earth. In this short passage from The Inferno of Dante, translated by Robert Pinsky, Pinsky and Dante the poet use vivid descriptions and line breaks to effectively juxtapose earth and hell—and therefore Dante and the souls—, and its content emphasizes Dante the pilgrim’s role as a savior. In Canto VI, Dante encounters Ciacco, a gluttonous sinner who reveals to Dante that the “good” (49, 71 & 72) men who Dante knew on earth now are now deep in the pit of “Hell” (49, 76). This contrast between how these men appeared on earth and where there are now, in hell, is also illustrated by Ciacco’s strong juxtaposition of Hell and earth through vibrant phrases such as “Their souls are among the blackest in Hell” (49, 76) and “earth’s sweet light” (49, 79). Through Ciacco’s dialogue, Dante the poet engrosses Dante the pilgrim in the horrors of hell while simultaneously reminding the him—and the audience—that he does not belong there. Dante is the only individual in hell who can return to earth, and the souls recognize that.

For the first tercet, there is a final pause before the line break which separates the image of Dante traveling deeper and deeper into hell’s “pit” (49, 77) and his eventual return to earth. This pause created through using “—” (49, 78), also intensifies the evil and goodness of these two locations, respectfully, and emphasizes how fortunate Dante is to be able to continue his journey past the normal barrier of the bottom of the pit. The second tercet also ends with a pause— “With that,” (49, 81)—, which represents the divide between Ciacco’s dream to return to earth and his harsh reality— “His eyes went crooked and squinted, his head rolled” (49, 82). This divide also symbolizes Ciacco’s final breath before he sinks back down into the mass of