Pre-session Summer 2018
(May 16-May 30) 
Hello my fellow students! For this post, I want to discuss Dante now that I have gone through most of our trip to Italy. (I figure since I’m writing this in Bologna, this picture is appropriate) In my Dante class, one of our assignments was to write a creative piece about our experience in Italy and how it relates to Dante. I decided to write a poem since my creative bulb was not quite lit and it was the only thing I could think of. I have it posted below. Feel free to read it or not. Fair warning, it is cheesy and rhymey: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I descended into Italy like Dante into Hell I thought about what to to expect and thought it would be swell. Yet just like Dante I was filled with a little trepidation, Cause being without much world culture, I was facing my damnation. But I knew I had to journey on ignoring all my fears, Not going on this trip, I knew, I’d regret it all my years Because aside from fun and class I knew this trip would bring By going back to where I’m from, I’d hope to find something- Something greater than a treasure, I’d find myself like Dante For Italy is my dark woods, I want to come to me So first I stopped in Rome and saw the amazing Coliseum, Which filled me with the hope and wonder of a lost civilization. And then I found my grace with God as I went into His home And truly felt like I was there, sitting on his throne. I felt a special connection to God and Dante did as well So after I packed up my things, I descended further into Hell. The welcome was a cold and wet one as I stepped into this city The city of Firenze warmed me with Brunelleschi and Da Vinci And not a man, this David I saw, but something so much more. He was a symbol for inspiration, his shadow reflecting off the marble floor And so I sit here and reflect on the things that I have seen That I can’t seem to get enough, like the sinners of greed Yet it is with the unbaptized that I feel like I relate Cause being here has made me stop and think about my fate By seeing what the artists, with their simple times, what they can do Then what is stopping me from achieving greatness too? Going into this I did not know what quite to expect But now I realize, along with Dante, how intense this is, our trek Like Dante, i hope, I will find out my life’s true meaning Even if i lose myself, I know I’ll be found beaming Because my journey has already started and there is no turning back I will soon find out the meaning of my life in which I lack. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ No matter where I go or what I see, there...
