Level 8 and 3/4 (New Level)
As we descended from the fraudulent eighth circle
Downward we traveled to the level
Home to the most treacherous of sinners
We entered into a cave, and were thrown into dishevel
Gasping for air and splashing of swimmers
All around I could feel the spirit of the devil
Said Virgil, as we passed into the inner
Area of the cold dark cave
“Welcome to level 8 ¾ , the home to the sinner
Who have proven to be anything but brave,
Who have ignored the safety of other drivers on the road
And who have allowed their alcoholic crave
To give in to the pressure and all of the goads
Of the people around them, tempting them to pick up a cup
And letting alcoholic toxins to corrode
Their minds and their hearts until it is too late to back up
And stop themselves from starting up their truck
And attempt to conjure up
Some intelligence and quit being a schmuck
In order to prevent there being no survivors
Of an innocent car being struck
Head on by this so called “drunk driver”.
The people who reside here in level 8 and three quarters
Are the very survivors
Of tragedies worse than being shot with a mortar.
They chose their own fun and stupidity
Over the well being of others, as goes the news of the reporters.
There is absolutely no validity
In the actions these human beings took
Which turned them into monsters and caused so much morbidity.”
We turned the corner and I took a look
Down into a ditch that reeked of vodka and beer.
I took a step closer and the whole ground shook.
Bodies down below me splashed around in these sphere
Drowning in the alcohol being poured over their heads.
And experiencing the mere
Miss of their death as all of these brain dead
Human beings are forced to dodge totaled cars
Being thrown at their heads.
The men tread water and gasp for breath reaching up to grab on to a bar
Of the ladder that leads to a jail cell
Where they well live for eternity if they ever make it out of this obstacle of cars
And overflowing alcohol that crashes down with the sound of a bell.
The deceased victims of the drunk driving event
Clinch on to the ankles of these men who fell
Victim to this alcohol and toxic drug that bent
Their judgment-- The victims pull the drunk drivers down
As they struggle to the surface—all their energy is spent.
Of all of the levels Virgil and I had seen, this one takes the crown
For the home to the sinners most disturbing of all.
The entire time down in level 8 ¾ my face held a frown
It is so sad to see them fall,
These men who could have been so great.
As we continued on to level 9, I started to bawl.
Terza Rima:
abc - bcb- cdc - ded - efe - fgf - ghg - hih - iji - jkj - klk - lml - mnm - non - opo - pqp -qrq - rsr
Explanatory Paragraph
My original canto is an addition to Dante's Inferno with the introduction of a new level, level 8 and three quarters. This level is home to sinners who have committed the crime of drunk driving. This sin is especially serious in my opinion, much worse than fraud but maybe not quite as serious as the treachery of level 9. Due to the characteristics and seriousness of the sin, I chose to create my own level in accordance with the sin. Additionally, the sin and punishment that I have come up with follows the requirements of "contropasso" in many ways. The beings who had committed the crime of drunk driving during their lives are thrown in to a ditch over flowing with diverse kinds of alcohol. As they drown in the toxins, totaled cars are thrown at them and they must dodge them in order to attempt to reach the surface and gasp for air. The innocent victims of these drunk driving accidents clinch on to the ankles of the criminals and attempt to pull them under in order to achieve retribution for the pain these criminals have caused them. On the surface, if the criminals are to somehow reach it, there sits a jail cell, where these people will sit and rot for eternity. Alcohol was so important to them in their lives that they allowed it to take innocent people's lives. As a result, these people are drenched in alcohol and have an endless supply of it in the after life.
Jen O'Connor, Period 1
Sunday, January 2, 2011
The Wrathful
As I continued to descend down that ominous abyss
I began to notice new sinners in a horrifying matter
Embedded into the walls these souls were shaking
I felt somewhat uneasy, unknowing of what was to come
How long will this last? Will this be until eternity
Then the truth came to light, and the cold set in
The souls being tortured were those with inferiority
Now, pinned up against their own wall suffering their own sin
Making others feel horrible is their main priority
Giant demons come around with sharp needles
Continuously poking and picking at the skins of the sinners
Their sweat drips down creating an infinite amount of tears
That form a lake, a lake of those evildoers own
Cries, the cries of the weak, those unable to survive
So they pry on the delicate ones, making them feel powerless
I continued on this path trying to find a familiar
Face I don't know anyone in these circles of lives
I know I don't belong here, especially because I'm alive.
One of the souls took my recognition at the moment I arrived
Kanye West, one of the most successful rappers was
Suffering day in and out in the depths of Circle Five
I said “Kanye, what did you ever do to put yourself within
these gates?” Kanye murmered with his eyes shut“I went on
stage and embarrassed Taylor Swift, she didn't deserve to win
Trying to take her pride and happiness away, but
Now I spend everyday feeling the stabs she did on that night,
A feeling that forever creates the horrid pain in my gut.”
Shocked at this answer, My body lost fight, my eyes had no sight
Hell is worse than what I originally expected, Its a place
where everyone has one thing in common, which is not being right.
I chose the 5th circle for this particular sin because it has to do with wrath and anger for others. Bullies are usually vindictive and cruel towards others making them a perfect fit for this circle. The punishment fits the crime because bullies tend to pin others up against the wall and pick on those who are weaker. The punishment is being stabbed with needles, endlessly picked on and pinned up against their own wall with no where to go. The giants are meant to make the souls feel inferior like they made others feel during their lifetime.
Kari-Lynn Jones, Period 1
I began to notice new sinners in a horrifying matter
Embedded into the walls these souls were shaking
I felt somewhat uneasy, unknowing of what was to come
How long will this last? Will this be until eternity
Then the truth came to light, and the cold set in
The souls being tortured were those with inferiority
Now, pinned up against their own wall suffering their own sin
Making others feel horrible is their main priority
Giant demons come around with sharp needles
Continuously poking and picking at the skins of the sinners
Their sweat drips down creating an infinite amount of tears
That form a lake, a lake of those evildoers own
Cries, the cries of the weak, those unable to survive
So they pry on the delicate ones, making them feel powerless
I continued on this path trying to find a familiar
Face I don't know anyone in these circles of lives
I know I don't belong here, especially because I'm alive.
One of the souls took my recognition at the moment I arrived
Kanye West, one of the most successful rappers was
Suffering day in and out in the depths of Circle Five
I said “Kanye, what did you ever do to put yourself within
these gates?” Kanye murmered with his eyes shut“I went on
stage and embarrassed Taylor Swift, she didn't deserve to win
Trying to take her pride and happiness away, but
Now I spend everyday feeling the stabs she did on that night,
A feeling that forever creates the horrid pain in my gut.”
Shocked at this answer, My body lost fight, my eyes had no sight
Hell is worse than what I originally expected, Its a place
where everyone has one thing in common, which is not being right.
I chose the 5th circle for this particular sin because it has to do with wrath and anger for others. Bullies are usually vindictive and cruel towards others making them a perfect fit for this circle. The punishment fits the crime because bullies tend to pin others up against the wall and pick on those who are weaker. The punishment is being stabbed with needles, endlessly picked on and pinned up against their own wall with no where to go. The giants are meant to make the souls feel inferior like they made others feel during their lifetime.
Kari-Lynn Jones, Period 1
The Social Networking Addicts
Level 2
Taking the social network to a whole new level a
Constantly checking b
Waiting for that red little dot c
Scanning the personal reckoning b
Just to make sure they never missed the red spot c
A beat in the social beckoning b
Comments, likes, requests always something to be got c
Exciting notification that’s waiting to be checked d
Making their day to see the little red dot c
Lusting for a connection
Looking for that red notification
Seeing pixels instead of the true face
A scarlet notification permanently attached to their chest
No longer will they have to run to the computer to check
They will always be connected
So concerned with what others think
Constantly checking to see who likes
What comment they have
Just like a birds chirp they wait for the blurb
Smart phone in hand so they will always be aware
Waiting for that computerized thought
Athletes, Celebrities, anyone’s words are worth hearing
Lusting to see there thoughts so they can change
Always afraid that they will never tweet the right thing
Forever these people will be branded with the scarlet notification and a birds chirp from their mouths
They will never have to check, they can just look down
They will never have to worry about missing a tweet
Forever while in level two they cannot talk to each other
They will be as silent and
The souls guiltily of being addicted to social networking are in an inner layer of level two, level 2.5. These people were so concerned with what others thought about them via Facebook and Twitter that they constantly updated and checked to see what others thought about their tweet or update. They lusted for people’s attention and approval via the internet. They were also so obsessed, that they only judged a person by means of their Facebook page and what they tweeted each day. While in hell, they are errantly branded with a scarlet Facebook notification on their fronts, and have a constant hiccup-like chirp to represent Twitter. Also, any social networking site they had an account on will errantly be dissolved.
Sabrina Ball, Period 2
Taking the social network to a whole new level a
Constantly checking b
Waiting for that red little dot c
Scanning the personal reckoning b
Just to make sure they never missed the red spot c
A beat in the social beckoning b
Comments, likes, requests always something to be got c
Exciting notification that’s waiting to be checked d
Making their day to see the little red dot c
Lusting for a connection
Looking for that red notification
Seeing pixels instead of the true face
A scarlet notification permanently attached to their chest
No longer will they have to run to the computer to check
They will always be connected
So concerned with what others think
Constantly checking to see who likes
What comment they have
Just like a birds chirp they wait for the blurb
Smart phone in hand so they will always be aware
Waiting for that computerized thought
Athletes, Celebrities, anyone’s words are worth hearing
Lusting to see there thoughts so they can change
Always afraid that they will never tweet the right thing
Forever these people will be branded with the scarlet notification and a birds chirp from their mouths
They will never have to check, they can just look down
They will never have to worry about missing a tweet
Forever while in level two they cannot talk to each other
They will be as silent and
The souls guiltily of being addicted to social networking are in an inner layer of level two, level 2.5. These people were so concerned with what others thought about them via Facebook and Twitter that they constantly updated and checked to see what others thought about their tweet or update. They lusted for people’s attention and approval via the internet. They were also so obsessed, that they only judged a person by means of their Facebook page and what they tweeted each day. While in hell, they are errantly branded with a scarlet Facebook notification on their fronts, and have a constant hiccup-like chirp to represent Twitter. Also, any social networking site they had an account on will errantly be dissolved.
Sabrina Ball, Period 2
The Drunk Drivers
Level 7
As I continued down the deep, treacherous spiral of misery I began to concentrate
Tires screeching, horns blasting, bodies slaying
Victims lay helplessly on a street seeming to never end
This horrible scene continues to replay
I wondered and curiously asked Virgil, “Why can’t I comprehend?”
He went on to explain “all they saw was gray”
As I was led through this level I saw a trend
Exact same victims in misery and pain
But were they dead? They would only pretend.
Virgil led me to a pool of many men being torturted and drowning
Lungs filling with a type of liquid
That was not water
I asked my master “What could be so frigid?”
He answered with a sigh, “you’d understand if you had seen the slaughter”
It seemed to come together, yet here I was able to expect nothing- all wicked.
Both of us took a moment to watch the next highway occurrence of a mother and daughter
Immense car swerving and speeding carelessly back and forth
Amazing as to now, they were not the victims anymore, just the causer.
The mother and daughter laughed as they did not even realize what they had done
Victim lay dead on the highway as the car
Continued to swerve down the highway
Revenge seemed to have been the star
Portraying how your last day
Can stop so far
I forced my master to stop and say
“It’s time to move on; there is nothing left for you to see here.”
I had to remind myself that I am not here to stay.
On the next level we went
As we continued on deeper into the layers of hell, I only could do one thing-
Have trust in my master, Virgil.
Explanatory Paragraph
In this Canto, I believe this would be Circle 7 in Hell, involved with the Lion, in the ou-iddle level. The ou-iddle level can be defined as between the outer and middle levels of circle 7. I chose to put this sin and punishment in-between because it takes on both types of violence; against neighbors and against God, art, nature. My sin is drunk driving and killing another individual. The punishment for this sin is the individual that killed another, is the one getting continuously run over by a drunk driver just as they did to another. The other punishment mentioned for this sin is the men then have to drown and be tortured in burning vodka. I wanted to portray the hurt and torture that a family member or friend feels after they know someone who has been murdered by a careless drunk driver.
Lisa Blomgren, Period 2
As I continued down the deep, treacherous spiral of misery I began to concentrate
Tires screeching, horns blasting, bodies slaying
Victims lay helplessly on a street seeming to never end
This horrible scene continues to replay
I wondered and curiously asked Virgil, “Why can’t I comprehend?”
He went on to explain “all they saw was gray”
As I was led through this level I saw a trend
Exact same victims in misery and pain
But were they dead? They would only pretend.
Virgil led me to a pool of many men being torturted and drowning
Lungs filling with a type of liquid
That was not water
I asked my master “What could be so frigid?”
He answered with a sigh, “you’d understand if you had seen the slaughter”
It seemed to come together, yet here I was able to expect nothing- all wicked.
Both of us took a moment to watch the next highway occurrence of a mother and daughter
Immense car swerving and speeding carelessly back and forth
Amazing as to now, they were not the victims anymore, just the causer.
The mother and daughter laughed as they did not even realize what they had done
Victim lay dead on the highway as the car
Continued to swerve down the highway
Revenge seemed to have been the star
Portraying how your last day
Can stop so far
I forced my master to stop and say
“It’s time to move on; there is nothing left for you to see here.”
I had to remind myself that I am not here to stay.
On the next level we went
As we continued on deeper into the layers of hell, I only could do one thing-
Have trust in my master, Virgil.
Explanatory Paragraph
In this Canto, I believe this would be Circle 7 in Hell, involved with the Lion, in the ou-iddle level. The ou-iddle level can be defined as between the outer and middle levels of circle 7. I chose to put this sin and punishment in-between because it takes on both types of violence; against neighbors and against God, art, nature. My sin is drunk driving and killing another individual. The punishment for this sin is the individual that killed another, is the one getting continuously run over by a drunk driver just as they did to another. The other punishment mentioned for this sin is the men then have to drown and be tortured in burning vodka. I wanted to portray the hurt and torture that a family member or friend feels after they know someone who has been murdered by a careless drunk driver.
Lisa Blomgren, Period 2
The Bully
Once my eyes closed for the last time on Earth,
They opened for the first time in this eternal hell,
And the feeling of true remorse shivered through my soul.
At my funeral, very few came to say farewell,
As they dropped me in this dirt hole,
Which lead to the curse of this perpetual suffering spell.
During my lifetime, I had one simple goal,
Which was to fill the weaker with fear,
And for these sins, I finally pay my toll.
Typical of most bullies from throughout the years,
Wedgies were a common gift to the defenseless
One filled with embarrassment and tears.
Because of the little or no repentance I did posses,
I soon learned these wrathful actions weren’t smart,
For I now spend eternity unable to undress.
And this minor detail is just the start
Another consists of the annoyance in my slacks
Which will sadly never depart.
The ability to pick my wedgies is what I lack,
And each day this pain grows more intense,
As my pants become tighter on my butt crack.
This punishment brings out my common sense,
And illuminates the misdoings of my ways,
Including the many wedgies I have dispensed.
In the 7th circle of hell, where I spend the rest of my days,
I live in this fiery burning pit of a nightmare,
Giving any of my rights to an afterlife away.
Finding this hard for my mind to bare,
I suffer the same pain I brought on to others on earth,
Ironically making me the weak left to be scared.
In my Canto, I talk from the point of view of a sinner who has to explain his eternal punishment he receives in hell which is based upon the actions he has performed on Earth. On Earth, the sinner is a bully, filled with the sole intentions of bringing pain to others, specifically by giving the weak and vulnerable wedgies. When the sinner dies, being that he is not repentant, he goes to hell. In hell he proceeds to be sent to the 7th circle, which is the circle for the wrathful. Within this circle his punishment well reflects his sin in terms of the contrapasso because the act of giving wedgies, which the sinner spent his whole life performing is now being forced upon him for eternity. And wedgies, which the sinner thought was only deserving to those who are weak are now being performed on him, thus making him the weak and vulnerable one.
Kevin Cardenas, Period 2
They opened for the first time in this eternal hell,
And the feeling of true remorse shivered through my soul.
At my funeral, very few came to say farewell,
As they dropped me in this dirt hole,
Which lead to the curse of this perpetual suffering spell.
During my lifetime, I had one simple goal,
Which was to fill the weaker with fear,
And for these sins, I finally pay my toll.
Typical of most bullies from throughout the years,
Wedgies were a common gift to the defenseless
One filled with embarrassment and tears.
Because of the little or no repentance I did posses,
I soon learned these wrathful actions weren’t smart,
For I now spend eternity unable to undress.
And this minor detail is just the start
Another consists of the annoyance in my slacks
Which will sadly never depart.
The ability to pick my wedgies is what I lack,
And each day this pain grows more intense,
As my pants become tighter on my butt crack.
This punishment brings out my common sense,
And illuminates the misdoings of my ways,
Including the many wedgies I have dispensed.
In the 7th circle of hell, where I spend the rest of my days,
I live in this fiery burning pit of a nightmare,
Giving any of my rights to an afterlife away.
Finding this hard for my mind to bare,
I suffer the same pain I brought on to others on earth,
Ironically making me the weak left to be scared.
In my Canto, I talk from the point of view of a sinner who has to explain his eternal punishment he receives in hell which is based upon the actions he has performed on Earth. On Earth, the sinner is a bully, filled with the sole intentions of bringing pain to others, specifically by giving the weak and vulnerable wedgies. When the sinner dies, being that he is not repentant, he goes to hell. In hell he proceeds to be sent to the 7th circle, which is the circle for the wrathful. Within this circle his punishment well reflects his sin in terms of the contrapasso because the act of giving wedgies, which the sinner spent his whole life performing is now being forced upon him for eternity. And wedgies, which the sinner thought was only deserving to those who are weak are now being performed on him, thus making him the weak and vulnerable one.
Kevin Cardenas, Period 2
The Violent
Level 7
As we gazed with timid eyes down the frostbitten chasm
Ears deafened by the hissing winds, smashed up against jagged stones
I, in mortal dread, turned to my phantasmal guide and asked of him,
“My guide, my guardian! Give voice to this chill of my bones
That seems to emanate from this rock-strewn brim!
What is this, made by his glorious hand, this abyss that bemoans
Its terrifying fate? What fiend dwells within?” And my guide turned his grim
Face towards mine and said, “This is the fate of those of blood crazed,
Who in life, strived to temper their swords in innocent limb.
Men whose lifework was the sight of cold corpses and halls razed,
Now in death, ensnared in hell’s foul breath, deafened by the cries
Of their bloodstains. The winds tear at their skin, their eyes set a blazed
In eternal agony. The blood of these beasts streams down their thighs
And into the affixed mouths of their gutless servant, those in life who
Followed blindly after the scent of bloodshed, drawn like flies
To a rotting carcass.” I looked down in dismay as the gales blew
Up out of the pit, and up into the terrible black
like tormented steam billowing from a blackened brew
But them my guide pointed a wispy finger at an icy crack
Adjacent to the howling orbs, where the winds seemed to swell.
I could see the head of a man, mounted on a weeping golden plaque
Channeling the ghastly currents that propel
Outward, feeding the spheres that raze and rip at the beast’s hide.
“Those who strike out against God, are sent to this hell.
They who spoke out against now act as his voice. And what betide
Of usurers is that they are encased in their greed, gilded in their horror
For all of eternity.” I trembled in fear, but my benevolent guide
motioned to me, and we continued on as a trepid explorer
Will dally about before entering into a murky cave
With anxious anticipation. As we descended, like a borer
Gnawing into wood, I took heart and stayed brave
And thought only of her who makes me love’s knave
Explanatory Paragraph
I decided to redo Dante’s circle seven entirely, because in our modern time, we see both homosexuality and suicide as lesser sins, and certainly not violent sins, because it is something people don’t choose usually or something caused by mental illness. So without the need for the middle ring and a 1/3 of the last ring, the circle needed heavy revision. There are really four punishments here for four different “violent sins.” First, those violent against neighbor are incased in the wails of those they’ve killed that rips off their skin and causes them to bleed profusely. Their blood then drops down and drowns their followers, those that “were just following orders,” because they followed after these people bloody paths of death. The next portion of the contrapasso deals with those of the lower ring, the blasphemers and usurers. Blasphemers are decapitated and mounted, and serve as the mouthpiece of God’s punishment of the violent because they in life spoke out against god. Usurers were those who charged interest on loans, and were turned into golden plaques because gold was their god and primary motive in life.
William Arguelles, Period 2
As we gazed with timid eyes down the frostbitten chasm
Ears deafened by the hissing winds, smashed up against jagged stones
I, in mortal dread, turned to my phantasmal guide and asked of him,
“My guide, my guardian! Give voice to this chill of my bones
That seems to emanate from this rock-strewn brim!
What is this, made by his glorious hand, this abyss that bemoans
Its terrifying fate? What fiend dwells within?” And my guide turned his grim
Face towards mine and said, “This is the fate of those of blood crazed,
Who in life, strived to temper their swords in innocent limb.
Men whose lifework was the sight of cold corpses and halls razed,
Now in death, ensnared in hell’s foul breath, deafened by the cries
Of their bloodstains. The winds tear at their skin, their eyes set a blazed
In eternal agony. The blood of these beasts streams down their thighs
And into the affixed mouths of their gutless servant, those in life who
Followed blindly after the scent of bloodshed, drawn like flies
To a rotting carcass.” I looked down in dismay as the gales blew
Up out of the pit, and up into the terrible black
like tormented steam billowing from a blackened brew
But them my guide pointed a wispy finger at an icy crack
Adjacent to the howling orbs, where the winds seemed to swell.
I could see the head of a man, mounted on a weeping golden plaque
Channeling the ghastly currents that propel
Outward, feeding the spheres that raze and rip at the beast’s hide.
“Those who strike out against God, are sent to this hell.
They who spoke out against now act as his voice. And what betide
Of usurers is that they are encased in their greed, gilded in their horror
For all of eternity.” I trembled in fear, but my benevolent guide
motioned to me, and we continued on as a trepid explorer
Will dally about before entering into a murky cave
With anxious anticipation. As we descended, like a borer
Gnawing into wood, I took heart and stayed brave
And thought only of her who makes me love’s knave
Explanatory Paragraph
I decided to redo Dante’s circle seven entirely, because in our modern time, we see both homosexuality and suicide as lesser sins, and certainly not violent sins, because it is something people don’t choose usually or something caused by mental illness. So without the need for the middle ring and a 1/3 of the last ring, the circle needed heavy revision. There are really four punishments here for four different “violent sins.” First, those violent against neighbor are incased in the wails of those they’ve killed that rips off their skin and causes them to bleed profusely. Their blood then drops down and drowns their followers, those that “were just following orders,” because they followed after these people bloody paths of death. The next portion of the contrapasso deals with those of the lower ring, the blasphemers and usurers. Blasphemers are decapitated and mounted, and serve as the mouthpiece of God’s punishment of the violent because they in life spoke out against god. Usurers were those who charged interest on loans, and were turned into golden plaques because gold was their god and primary motive in life.
William Arguelles, Period 2
The Vain
Level 2
I tremble as I enter the second circle of hell
I’m completely terrified by my surroundings
If only I could live again and change my past
I take a few steps as my heart starts pounding
I know now what I’ve done, and I know why I’m here
I cannot believe all this terror that’s around me
I approach a large mirror and I see my biggest fear
I used to be beautiful, not a blemish in sight
My appearance was my world—something I held dear
Into the mirror I gazed, everyday and every night
Vanity was my obsession and my only true care
Now my own face gives me an absolute fright
A new defect appears for every second that I stare
Black and blues, scars and stitches engorge my face
How can anything be worse than this horrid nightmare
My eyes are participating in some sort of sick race
As they swim through my tears and down my cheeks
Even my nose has taken part in this chase
I cannot stare anymore at this face of a freak
My ears are getting bigger as time goes by
I’m traumatized, revolted, and I cannot speak
Now All I can do is repent and wonder why
I was always so lustful, self-righteous, and vain
Once I was conceited but now I am so shy
What used to matter most is now causing me such pain
My body is deteriorating and my face is melting down
Insects enter my ears and throw a party on my brain
My teeth have fallen out—I cannot smile, only frown
Why wasn’t I humble? Just look at me now
full of misery—In my own body, I will drown.
Explanatory Paragraph
My canto is in the second circle of hell, which is the upper level. The canto is about a girl who lusted over her appearance her entire life. She was completely vain and only cared about her physical appearance. She was not humble and did not care about others. Because she was so lustful and vain, her punishment fits her crime very well. As she stares in the mirror, her face is quickly becoming mutated. These deformities are her greatest nightmare. Her eyes and her nose fall off her face, and she has become completely ugly. Because she only cared about being beautiful during her life, she now appears to be the exact opposite of beautiful.
Jennifer Elovitz, Period 2
I tremble as I enter the second circle of hell
I’m completely terrified by my surroundings
If only I could live again and change my past
I take a few steps as my heart starts pounding
I know now what I’ve done, and I know why I’m here
I cannot believe all this terror that’s around me
I approach a large mirror and I see my biggest fear
I used to be beautiful, not a blemish in sight
My appearance was my world—something I held dear
Into the mirror I gazed, everyday and every night
Vanity was my obsession and my only true care
Now my own face gives me an absolute fright
A new defect appears for every second that I stare
Black and blues, scars and stitches engorge my face
How can anything be worse than this horrid nightmare
My eyes are participating in some sort of sick race
As they swim through my tears and down my cheeks
Even my nose has taken part in this chase
I cannot stare anymore at this face of a freak
My ears are getting bigger as time goes by
I’m traumatized, revolted, and I cannot speak
Now All I can do is repent and wonder why
I was always so lustful, self-righteous, and vain
Once I was conceited but now I am so shy
What used to matter most is now causing me such pain
My body is deteriorating and my face is melting down
Insects enter my ears and throw a party on my brain
My teeth have fallen out—I cannot smile, only frown
Why wasn’t I humble? Just look at me now
full of misery—In my own body, I will drown.
Explanatory Paragraph
My canto is in the second circle of hell, which is the upper level. The canto is about a girl who lusted over her appearance her entire life. She was completely vain and only cared about her physical appearance. She was not humble and did not care about others. Because she was so lustful and vain, her punishment fits her crime very well. As she stares in the mirror, her face is quickly becoming mutated. These deformities are her greatest nightmare. Her eyes and her nose fall off her face, and she has become completely ugly. Because she only cared about being beautiful during her life, she now appears to be the exact opposite of beautiful.
Jennifer Elovitz, Period 2
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