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| "The Salutation of Beatrice," Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1859. National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. |
"In that part of the book of my memory before the which is little that can be read, there is a rubric, saying, 'Here beginneth the New Life.' Under such rubric I find written many things; and among them the words which I purpose to copy into this little book; if not all of them, at the least their substance."
*****
*****
La Vita Nuova is a coming of age story, and it is also the story of the journey towards becoming a poet. As seen in the above quotation, La Vita Nuova is the product of his work trying to synthesize the two (his personal experience, i.e. his memory, with his personal aesthetic, i.e. the rubric of "the New Life"). I envision that Dante wishes to have them run as if parallel rivers, side by side. He wishes for his life to inform his art and for his art to inform his life. Many of us might wish that for ourselves too, but Dante has the abilities to make it so.
His love for Beatrice presents an obstacle to this endeavor. As such, he places it at the center of this book. This is the hardest thing for him to get enough perspective on to in turn be able to write about. What's difficult for Dante, is it's also the thing in his life which most inspires him to pick up his pen (or quill as the case may be). More than once in this book he expresses a desire to speak on something concerning Beatrice, but stops himself because of some reason or another. I got the impression these moments, in a way, speak the most about who Dante must have been as a man and also as an artist.
While Dante's personal goals/desires are not so foreign because they are universal, this book is still a challenge for the modern reader. Especially, if you have no previous experience with medieval texts as I did. Books from that period are just different than books from our own time, or those of the previous 4-5 generations. It is written in a language very different from our own. It is very formal. Writing at that time seems to not only have been about the content of what you were writing but also extremely focused on the format of the writing. We no longer seem to be preoccupied with this so it's awkward for a modern reader to encounter.
Perhaps the most challenging part of La Vita Nuova is that it is a combination of prose and poetry. Each type of writing has its own rhythm. Having them back to back as they are presented here forces the reader to change gears quite frequently - and that's not something I'm accustomed to. But it was a healthy challenge.
For all the intellectualizing that goes on in this book I think it is really a book that is meant to be taken to heart. The narrator struggles to find his way - to temper his impulses, to organize his thoughts, and to discover how to shore up his life from enemies in his midst.
As the book progresses, I found the poetry to improve exponentially. This makes me excited to read The Divine Comedy, whereas before I was simply intimidated beyond belief by that poem (heck, I still am).
I really enjoyed this poem the most, so I thought I'd include it here:
*****
A gentle thought there is will often start,
Within my secret self, to speech of thee;
Also of Love it speaks so tenderly
That much in me consents and takes its part.
"And what is this," the soul saith to the heart,
"That cometh thus to comfort thee and me,
And thence where it would dwell, thus potently
Can drive all other thoughts by its strange art?"
And the heart answers: "Be no more at strife
'Twixt doubt and doubt: this is Love's messenger
And speaketh but his words, from him received:
And all the strength it owns and all the life
It draweth from the gentle eyes of her
Who, looking on our grief, hath often grieved."
A gentle thought there is will often start,
Within my secret self, to speech of thee;
Also of Love it speaks so tenderly
That much in me consents and takes its part.
"And what is this," the soul saith to the heart,
"That cometh thus to comfort thee and me,
And thence where it would dwell, thus potently
Can drive all other thoughts by its strange art?"
And the heart answers: "Be no more at strife
'Twixt doubt and doubt: this is Love's messenger
And speaketh but his words, from him received:
And all the strength it owns and all the life
It draweth from the gentle eyes of her
Who, looking on our grief, hath often grieved."
*****
Anyway, this lecture on La Vita Nuova is a part of Giuseppe Mazzotta's Yale's open course on Dante. It is excellent and it is FREE. Whatever he has to say about the book, he no doubt does it better than I can.
And, finally, some artwork...
And, finally, some artwork...
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| Dante Gabriel Rossetti - Beata Beatrix, 1864-1870 |
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| Dante and Beatrice, by Henry Holiday. Dante looks longingly at Beatrice (in center) passing by with friend Lady Vanna (red) along the Arno River. |
