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Artwork for Walking With Dante

Walking With Dante

Mark Scarbrough
Purgatorio
Dante Alighieri
Virgil
Dante's Divine Comedy
Dante
Beatrice
Statius
Love
Avarice
Dante's Purgatorio
Envy
Mount Purgatory
Forese Donati
Divine Comedy
Lust
Inferno
Gluttony
Aristotle
Anger
Garden Of Eden

Ever wanted to read Dante's Divine Comedy? Come along with us! We're not lost in the scholarly weeds. (Mostly.) We're strolling through the greatest work (to date) of Western literature. Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as I take on this masterpiece passage by passage. I'll give you my rough English translation, show you some of the interpretive knots in the lines, let you in on the 700 years of commenta... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes492Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
FictionBooksArts

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Artwork for Walking With Dante

Latest Episodes

Here's just a brief episode about where I am and how the podcast will start again in about six weeks. Hang tight and we'll be walking . . . no, actually flying through the spheres of PARADISO in a few weeks.

Until then, gird up your loins. PARADISO ... more

Hey there. We're going to pause our slow-walk for a couple of months as I get out from under chemotherapy. We've come to the end of PURGATORIO and it also seems natural that we rest a little before the big ascent ahead in PARADISO. Look for more anno... more

We've reached the end of our time on the great mountain of Purgatory . . . and in the great second canticle of COMEDY.

Here are some final thoughts, an attempt to bring our time with this part of the poem to a close.

Dante has worked hard to make P... more

Dante, the poet, steps out of the story seven times in PURGATORIO to address his reader directly--sometimes to spur the reader on to action, sometimes to put a bridle on the reader's intentions or thoughts.

If we trace these seven addresses, can we ... more

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Recent Guests

Guido Guinizzelli
A famous poet considered the father of the sweet new style in Italian poetry.
Episode: Queenly Embeasting: PURGATORIO, Canto XXVI, Lines 67 - 93
Forese Donati
A significant figure in Dante's narrative, known for his past poetic rivalry with Dante.
Member of the Donati family
Episode: Gluttons For Poetry: PURGATORIO, Canto XXIII, Lines 28 - 48
Marco of Lombardy
A central figure in Dante's work, representing worldly knowledge and lost valor
Literary character from Dante's Divine Comedy
Episode: Greeting The Wrathful And Slowly Changing COMEDY Itself: PURGATORIO, Canto XVI, Lines 25 - 51

Host

Mark Scarbrough
Host of Walking With Dante; guides listeners through Dante's Divine Comedy with a readable translation, contextual commentary, and engagement with centuries of scholarship.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 299 ratings
  • Remarkable and healing

    Do not miss this podcast, please. Nothing compares to this journey.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Keti5325
    United Statesa month ago
  • Fantastic!!

    Absolutely wonderful podcast that has completed a close read of Inferno & Purgatorio. The episodes on Ugolino, Pia & the parade at the end of Purgatorio have been the most helpful for me so far.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Alex123456789098765431
    United Statesa month ago
  • Amazing feast for your ears - Mark’s a tremendous guide through Dante’s Comedy

    Walking with Dante podcast is obviously an amazing labor of love and passion about the poem. Highly rated! I recommend you start your journey.

    As part of my own COVID journey - which is when the host started this podcast - I returned to classical literature, starting with the Iliad. I'm moving my way forward with my destination eventually being Milton. Like the podcast, six years later, I haven't gotten there yet. In fact, I've spent the last year focusing on Dante's Comedy.

    So, after reading ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Missing iPad landscape mode
    United States2 months ago
  • I learn and laugh

    This is such a clever and enjoyable discussion which is really well pitched for an educated lay audience. Fun and revelatory, can't recommend highly enough.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Michael from Waramanga
    Australia3 months ago
  • The Journey Not the Destination

    We hear, “It’s not the destination but the journey.” This auditory Baedeker to Dante’s masterwork is proof positive. Thoroughly detailed, refreshingly candid, enormously good natured… Mark is the perfect professional guide to a monument of world literature. Walk this way and enjoy. You too will be so glad you did!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    A Cape Ann Perambulist
    United States3 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Many reviews call it a must-listen for Dante fans and a valuable companion for studying the Comedy.
The show is described as a warm, thoughtful guide with excellent pacing and translation choices.
Listeners praise the host for making dense material accessible and engaging.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#233
Israel/Arts/Books

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Love Maps Purgatory: PURGATORIO, Canto XVII, Lines 106 - 126
Q: Can Virgil, a pagan-damned poet, be a scholastic thinker?
Virgil shows traits of a scholastic thinker through the way he articulates the nature of love, but he continues to use language like 'first cause' instead of directly referencing God, making him more of a scholastic philosopher than a theologian.
The Chatty Conclusion Of The Angry Marco's Discourse: PURGATORIO, Canto XVI, Lines 130 - 145
Q: What does this conversational tone do for the poet?
It provides a relaxed atmosphere after the tight theological discourse, aiding in pacing and allowing Dante to transition into contemporary topics.
The Chatty Conclusion Of The Angry Marco's Discourse: PURGATORIO, Canto XVI, Lines 130 - 145
Q: Why is there so much Torah here in Marco's speech?
It's to show a foundational relationship between the papacy and the Jewish priesthood, linking both territories and authority within historical contexts.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Walking With Dante

What is Walking With Dante about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful, accessible deep-dive into Dante's Divine Comedy, guiding listeners line-by-line through Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso with a blend of personal translation, historical context, and interpretive debate. Episodes routinely unpack difficult imagery, medieval philosophy, and textual history, while connecting the poem to modern life and contemporary reading practices. The host emphasizes clarity without sacrificing scholarly rigor, inviting listeners to form their own interpretations while offering well-anchored guidance, translation choices, and references to a long tradition of commentary. A standout trait is the slow-walk approach: steady pacing, warm narration, and a generous focus on both the poetry and the surrounding scho... more

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1. The Ezra Klein Show
2. The Bulwark Podcast
3. The Rest Is History
4. The Daily
5. The Ancients

How many episodes of Walking With Dante are there?

Walking With Dante launched 6 years ago and published 492 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Walking With Dante?

Recent guests on Walking With Dante include:

1. Guido Guinizzelli
2. Forese Donati
3. Marco of Lombardy

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