Commentary Par XXXI 118-142

This passage is seamless, describing a single action, Dante's raising his eyes (verse 118) at Bernard's command and seeing Mary, surrounded by angels and admired by the rest of the blessed.  It is like a painting of the Virgin seated in glory.  However, since it is only like a painting, the poet introduces his central scene with a double simile, each element of which begins 'e come.'

Until now, we have been shown the Empyrean with a long-range perspective, seeing all the Rose as a unit divided into many parts.  Now we focus on a single part of it and are presented with a new sense of graduated selectivity, in which the things that are nearest Mary are brightest, while those farthest from her gradually fade from view.