Commentary Purg XXXII 13-15

The poet at first may seem to be making exactly the same sort of mistake the protagonist has just made, a second idolatrous praising of his lady who, he now seems to be saying, is of even greater worth than the entirety of the Church Triumphant (or so Singleton [DDP Singleton.Purg.XXXII.13-15] implies, referring to these 'strong words, calling the whole procession 'poco' in comparison!').

      The passage has caused difficulty over the years.  The partial insights of several help us make sense of what Dante said.  John of Serravalle (DDP Serravalle.Purg.XXXII.10-18) points out that the word sensibile is a technical term, reflecting such discussions as those found in Aristotle (De anima II and De senso et sensato).  The sensation encountered by any particular sense organ is what is meant, and the commentator's first example fits perfectly here.  If one looks at the sun (a sensibile, an object of sense perception, in this case by the eyes), anything else will seem less bright by comparison (see the discussion of the sensibile comune [the objects of sensory perception] in C.Purg.XXIX.47-51).  Tozer (DDP Tozer.Purg.XXXII.13-15) reminds the reader of the similar passage at [Purg XV 15], in which Dante's sense of sight is overwhelmed.  And Steiner (DDP Steiner.Purg.XXXII.13-14) distinguishes between the light of the sun and the blinding effulgence of God.

      The context here is the 'isplendor di viva luce etterna' (splendor of eternal living light), that is, the smile of Beatrice glowing with the direct light of God's rays.  Her mouth is illumined by the 'sun' that is God, while all else in the garden is lit by the light of the natural sun, and thus is less available to the sense of sight than Beatrice's smile, as vv. 10-12 make all but apparent: Dante has been blinded by the Light.