Poetry Comparison

Stuart MacGillivray May 8th, 2002

"Through me the way is to the city dolent;
Through me the way is to eternal dole;
Through me the way among the people lost.

Justice incited my sublime Creator;
Created me divine Omnipotence,
The highest Wisdom and the primal Love.

Before me there were no created things,
Only eterne, and I eternal last.
All hope abandon, ye who enter in!"
- Inferno: Canto III, at the Gate of Dis - Dante

“I fear, too early; for my mind misgives
Some consequence, yet hanging in the stars,
Shall bitterly begin his fearful date
With this night’s revels, and expire the term
Of a despised life closed in my breast
By some vile forfeit of untimely death.
But He that hath the steerage of my course
Direct my sail! On, lusty gentlemen!”
-Romeo & Juliet, Act I, Scene IV - Shakespeare

Both of these excerpts show a similar theme; the former being a warning to those passing through a gate to the Underworld, the latter being a warning of sorts to the reader, through foreshadowing, that things are going to change soon. They both have similar moods, as well; being dark and foreboding, with talk of death and abandoning of hope, these are not happy verses.

The formats of these examples are radically different; Dante writes in the form of triplets, while Romeo’s speech is pure prose. Neither of them rhyme, though the first triplet of the former example has near-identical lines. Rhythm is another matter; in both examples, each line has ten to eleven syllables.

The imagery of both excerpts is dark; Romeo speaks of night and death, while Dante’s writing includes references to nothingness and doom. In addition, they both include a note of an almighty being; in the former example, it is the Creator of the gate, while in the latter, it is Fate who directs Romeo’s sail. The sound of both excerpts is interesting; in both cases, the speech is quite formal, giving the reader a feeling of great importance.

In conclusion, the two pieces share a feeling of foreboding and warning, reaching the reader with formal speech. They seem to be meant to be read almost in an undertone, barely audible to others. As a side note, both pieces are meant for the same purpose, as a gate to the main plot; Romeo senses the approach of a twist of fate, while the inscription marks the gate through which Dante’s adventure begins.