“Great Dante stands in Florence, looking down” is a poem by E. E. Cummings it is a poem of hate and love in Dante’s eyes. Cummings uses items on the face, such as the lips and eyes to get his point across. Cummings’ writes about Dante looking down on the world and letting forth hate and love. He is also judging the world. In the lines , “These eyes have known Love’s starry fellowship;/Behind which trembles the tremendous soul.” Cummings writes about the fact that Dante is tremendous not only in body but in soul, but that he is trembling in fear at mankind. At there hate and love, that can change at any time.
Cummings describes Dante further in the lines “What if this mouth Hate’s bitter smile has curled? /These eyes have known Love’s starry fellowship.” He is describing his smile as hate, which is ironic, because hate is associated with horrible deeds, not a happy smile. Dante’s eyes see love and fellowship, which is also in the world. Dante represents a collage of human emotions, using new and original metaphors to embed it, in the reader’s soul.
Great Dante stands in
Florence, looking down
In marble on the centuries. Ye spell,
Beaneath his feet who walked in Heaven and Hell,
“L’Italia.” Here no longer lord and clown
Cringe, as of yore, to the immortal frown
Of him who loved Italy too well:
Silent he stands, and like a sentinel
Stares from beneath those brows of dread renown.
Terrible, beautiful face, from whose pale lip
Anathema hurtled upon the world,
Stern mask, we read thee as an open scroll:
What if this mouth Hate’s bitter smile has curled?
These eyes have known Love’s starry fellowship;
Behind which trembles the tremendous soul.
