The Divine Comedy, Book II: Purgatorio by Dante

The 33 cantos that form the second book of The Divine Comedy describe the realm of Purgatory, a place between Heaven and Hell. Continuing on from the first book, Inferno, the Pilgrim (Dante himself) is accompanied again by his Guide, the ancient poet Virgil. The pair start from the bottom of the Island of Purgatory and begin their climb to reach the Earthly Paradise.
Stylistically, Dante's impeccable use of imagery both common and divine, creates an almost religious experience of the sinner's ascent to Heaven. Each canto, though brief, deals with both the physical suffering of those trapped in Purgatory and also the inner thoughts of Dante as he goes in search of his deceased lover, Beatrice. Dante's innovative use of his native Italian language, which in the Penguin Classics translation is flawless, astounds the reader in its simplicity and vividness. Although it is perhaps inevitable that the modern reader will have to rely on explanatory notes regarding ancient Greek, Roman and Latin references, the plot and poetry of the work flows with such ease and cadence.
Throughout the poem, Dante encounters the various types of sinner, ranging from the Excommunicated (those who were expelled by the church, yet repented before their deaths) as well as various others such as the Envious, the Proud and the Avaricious. Each group of sinners is meted out a suitable punishment, the Envious are forced to stare down at the ground with rocks tied to their backs, the Proud have their eyes sewn shut with iron thread and the avaricious are denied food that appears before them. Dante meets several of his friends in Purgatory, each are amazed to see him in the flesh as only the dead are allowed to reside in Purgatory, but it is by special permission that Dante has gained access along with Virgil, his guide.
The religious themes of the Divine Comedy are portrayed with such engaging imagery that is a refreshing change to the wholly didactic method of other religious texts. Dante is both poet and story-teller but he is not a preacher, here in Purgatory he is merely a spectator among the dead, searching for his lover, Beatrice.
The poignant conclusion of Purgatorio involves the manifestation of Beatrice in the garden of Eden and Dante is lost for words. Yet enough has been told already, like the description of the beautiful woodland in the Earthly Paradise which was described by one critic as ' the sweetest passage of wood description that exists in literature'.
It is clear that Dante was a master of his art, yet he also created a perfect formula for the poetic trilogy: Hell, Purgatory and Heaven have been used ad infinitum since Dante's time as both metephorical and literal settings, but Dante's unique mastery of his language as well as his excellent storytelling makes The Divine Comedy one of the best epic poems in the literary canon.