At long last, the first soul--or "shade"--steps forward in Paradise. She's Piccarda Donati, a figure we've already encountered once (maybe even twice) in COMEDY.

Dante flatters her to speak and she begins, not with herself, but with some theology and thoughts on her placement in the heavens.

Along the way, her speech takes on some dark spots of ambiguity, about like the moon with its rare and dense material.

Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we begin our time with the first soul in Paradise.

Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:

[01:04] My English translation of PARADISO, Canto III, Lines 34 - 57. If you'd like to read along or drop a comment on this episode, please find its entry on my website, markscarbrough.com.

[03:12] Introducing Piccarda Donati, a nun forced to violate her vows.

[09:11] Finding Piccarda Donati elsewhere in COMEDY, particularly at PURGATORIO XXIII and XXIV, in the speech of her brother, Forese, among the gluttons.

[12:19] Also finding Piccarda Donati in Francesca from INFERNO V.

[18:00] Finding darkness (or ambiguity) in Piccarda--moon spots, as it were.

[22:51] Playing games with vows, voids, and volition (or the will).

[26:37] Rereading PARADISO, Canto III, lines 34 - 87.