Commentary Par VII 1-15

If one were to select a single passage from the entire Commedia that seems most self-consciously wrought and thoroughly marked by poetic exuberance, it might be difficult to find one more fitting that description than this, with its opening mixture of Hebrew and Latin, the mysterious 'double light' glowing upon Justinian, the sudden departure of that soul and his dancing fellows, the protagonist's wild excitement in his bafflement over a theological question, and, finally, the linguistic playfulness of the poet's reference to Beatrice's name.  It is as though Dante were apologizing in advance for the lack of poetic energy that typifies the rest of the canto, turned over to the theological needs of its protagonist as ministered to by his guide.

Canto VII almost seems to be offered as reassurance to readers with a religious and/or theological bent that we've closed the books on Roman history and Italian politics and now will stick to our good Christian knitting – for a while, at least.  However, for the imperial resonances in the opening three terzine, see Fallani (Fall.1989.1), pp. 224-27.