Now that Dante has ascended to heaven, Longfellow looks up to the stained glass windows of the church. In medieval times, stained glass windows were used to teach the common people Bible stories, since the commoners often could not read. The saints in heaven teach Dante about Christian love and virtue. Longfellow, instead of seeing the saints in heaven, sees them in the stained glass windows and imagines that he is hearing their stories.
The centerpiece of the cathedral is the rose window, which depicts the glorification of Christ. In the primum mobile, the outermost sphere of Dante’s Paradise, the saints are arranged in the shape of a rose. This rose, and indeed all of heaven, blazes with a glorious light. Beatrice ascends to join her place in the rose, and smiles on Dante at last – he could not bear the bliss and glory of her heavenly smile before.
After describing the sights of heaven in the octave, Longfellow describes the sounds of heaven in the sestet. All the saints and all creation join in praise to God. Their worship is supported by organ and choir and bells, all united to proclaim the mystery and wonder of Christ’s sacrifice. This sestet demonstrates a portion of the bliss, joy, and excitement experienced by the communing saints in heaven.
In keeping with his ecclesiastical theme, Longfellow echoes the order of the liturgy in his sonnets.* Sonnets III and IV both contain a confession of sins and God’s pardon. Liturgical services begin with a public confession, followed by a plea for God’s mercy in the Kyrie. Not only is this order fitting for a cathedral service, but it is the pattern of all Christian life. Confession ought always to precede salvation and thanksgiving to God.
The Kyrie is followed by praise to God in the Gloria. Longfellow depicts the joyful praise of the church in V.9-11. Although Longfellow does not specifically mention the Gloria, he is probably thinking of it, because this service is full of Latin hymns (V.10). Latin hymns appear quite often in Dante – most particularly in Purgatory when the souls sing psalms as they ascend the mount of Purgatory. In the ordinary of the mass, the Gloria is followed by the Credo – a recitation of the Nicene Creed. This is also a confession – not of sin, but of belief in God.
The high point of the mass is the celebration of the Eucharist. After praying over the bread and wine, the priest lifts them to heaven (“the elevation of the Host,” V.14). All the bells ring as the Sanctus is sung. The Sanctus is a hymn, taken from heavenly worship services in Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4. It is a fitting close to this first sonnet on Paradise.
Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth!
Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua.
Hosanna in excelsis!
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts!
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest!
* HT to Emily for asking about speech patterns in the sonnets, which made me think about a liturgical order.
The centerpiece of the cathedral is the rose window, which depicts the glorification of Christ. In the primum mobile, the outermost sphere of Dante’s Paradise, the saints are arranged in the shape of a rose. This rose, and indeed all of heaven, blazes with a glorious light. Beatrice ascends to join her place in the rose, and smiles on Dante at last – he could not bear the bliss and glory of her heavenly smile before.
After describing the sights of heaven in the octave, Longfellow describes the sounds of heaven in the sestet. All the saints and all creation join in praise to God. Their worship is supported by organ and choir and bells, all united to proclaim the mystery and wonder of Christ’s sacrifice. This sestet demonstrates a portion of the bliss, joy, and excitement experienced by the communing saints in heaven.
In keeping with his ecclesiastical theme, Longfellow echoes the order of the liturgy in his sonnets.* Sonnets III and IV both contain a confession of sins and God’s pardon. Liturgical services begin with a public confession, followed by a plea for God’s mercy in the Kyrie. Not only is this order fitting for a cathedral service, but it is the pattern of all Christian life. Confession ought always to precede salvation and thanksgiving to God.
The Kyrie is followed by praise to God in the Gloria. Longfellow depicts the joyful praise of the church in V.9-11. Although Longfellow does not specifically mention the Gloria, he is probably thinking of it, because this service is full of Latin hymns (V.10). Latin hymns appear quite often in Dante – most particularly in Purgatory when the souls sing psalms as they ascend the mount of Purgatory. In the ordinary of the mass, the Gloria is followed by the Credo – a recitation of the Nicene Creed. This is also a confession – not of sin, but of belief in God.
The high point of the mass is the celebration of the Eucharist. After praying over the bread and wine, the priest lifts them to heaven (“the elevation of the Host,” V.14). All the bells ring as the Sanctus is sung. The Sanctus is a hymn, taken from heavenly worship services in Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4. It is a fitting close to this first sonnet on Paradise.
Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth!
Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua.
Hosanna in excelsis!
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts!
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest!
* HT to Emily for asking about speech patterns in the sonnets, which made me think about a liturgical order.
Inspiring!
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked it. :-)
ReplyDeleteI'd never heard that that was the purpose for stained glass windows...it makes sense though. Especially, in this poem, how the vivid sights and scenes of heaven are answered with doctrine in the songs of heaven. Amazing how all the senses are used to show Christ.
ReplyDeleteApparently the use of images for church education is at least as old as Gregory the Great, though it probably goes back much earlier.
ReplyDelete