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And so it came to be that I found myself in the company of this dark-haired lady
Whose disposition towards pleasantness is recognized by many,
And whose diligence and sincerity is obvious to all who know of her;
And, as she stood near to me, so she conversed with me awhile.

And so it was, that we found ourselves speaking about art
And how there were many different styles of painting;
And we seemed to concur that each style was a reflection
Of an artist's form of expression and how an artist looked at the world.

I proceeded to speak of my own ambitions in this area:
That, in future years, I would like to paint figures with a sense of realism,
Like the romantic artists who were inspired by the myths of Arthur
And who were also touched by Dante's profound tale of spiritual love.

I described to this lady, how Dante, a poet, who lived many centuries ago,
Had experienced the three epic visions for The Divine Comedy:
Where he had been guided on a great journey and learned of the afterlife
And beheld his love, that was his greatest and most noble: the gracious Beatrice!

I explained to this lady how, in Dante's book of love poetry, the Vita Nuova,
The poet had found it difficult to express his love to the woman he loved most;
For so overwhelmed was he by the depths and the profound nature of his emotions
That he was almost rendered dumb whenever he came into contact with her:

It was as if Love himself had struck the poet speechless with his fabled arrow,
And each time Dante encountered his beloved Beatrice: who, in Dante's eyes,
Was the ultimate in love, virtue, beauty, graciousness and compassion,
He could not express the heartfelt purity of the love he felt for her.

 

Written by Mark Woollacott
11:20pm-11:59pm Wednesday 27th January 2010.