Sin of Hindering Life due to a Guilty Conscience

*Rhyme is throughout poem*


Drudging solemnly forward through wrath and despair
my guide directed my eyes towards a herd
of men and women sinking quickly into the ground.

At once I heard screams, although slurred,
as the ground swallowed them up, as if they'd drowned
'Do not be alarmed, although these sinners are seldom heard.

These souls are drowning by stones to which they are bound
of guilt from an incident which they have failed to accept.
And from that precise moment, have constantly carried around.

In their hearts this sorrow has been secretly kept
And this weight has held them in the past.
Oblivious to the present, it's almost as if they'd slept.

If you look closely, though you must look fast,
You can see how their body turns to stone
until the weight sinks them at last.

Although not heinous, it's a sin He does not condone.
For to pause your life and stop living
is against what he has taught and we have known.'

I could see now that there are two sides in forgiving
and you must be at peace in your heart.
One's life is squandered is you just keep reliving.

'But sullen is how they've chosen to depart,
and now this is their eternal fate.
I'm sure looking back, they see that was not smart.'

How can he be saying this with his face straight?
Questions in silence I dare not speak.
'It is time to venture forward, we must not wait.'

As I left, I took one last peak
to the souls bound to a foregone mistake,
When suddenly I felt very weak.

I gripped Virgil's shoulder as we crossed another lake
'Do not crumble now, Dante,
For the fate of your soul is at stake.'

This canto would appear in level 5, or the level for wrath and sullenness. The reason for this (the sin) is because this canto depicts the fate of the souls of those who have succumbed to sullenness due to guilt that has held them in the past. They were never able to truly to live after falling into this guilt, and stopped living altogether- they just existed. The punishment for these sinners is that they turn to stone as they walk through hell, and sink into the ground. This fits the crime of guilt consuming their life because just as the guilt held them in place in their life and stopped their life, in a sense, turning to stone stops them and then sinks them into the ground where they are stuck forever.

Interview with Aeneas

 In his first interview following his escape from Troy, Aeneas, hero of the Trojan people,  sat down with  the Weekly Warrior to address the general public with honest answers surrounding his reasoning for fleeing Troy, and other big questions.

WW: This is truly a gift from the gods, being able to speak with such an esteemed warrior as yourself, especially after everything that has happened between Greece and Troy.

A:  The pleasure is all mine, and yes, this is one of the many gifts from the gods.

WW: Speaking of, you were somehow able to make it out of Troy alive, and there has been speculation of divine intervention. Can you clear up any misconceptions about that?

A: Of course. Gods have always intervened in human affairs, sometimes with ill-timing. However, my mother Venus, in addition to providing me with guidance that every mother does, went above and beyond and helped lead me out of Troy, just after cajoling me to spare Helen’s life. 

WW: Why would you consider such an atrocity?

A: After losing Hector, and having seen Priam’s young son and Priam himself be murdered, I couldn’t bare the sight of her, knowing it was she who had been the catalyst for this devastating war.

WW: But Venus calmed you, how like her- she was always very compassionate. Were all the gods as nice as she was?

A: Pallas, actually, was quite the opposite. Sea serpents sent by her took the life of Lacoon, a good man, who tried to uncover the fraud that was the Trojan horse, in order to protect the people. A good man, only wanting to protect his people, and she had him and his sons killed- that truly is monstrous. The majority of the gods are cruel like her, with few exceptions.

WW: You seem to turn very bitter about the gods, surely they can’t be completely invidious?

A: The only thing that quells my distress is the fact that they can’t control fate. It is the only positive thing about the gods collectively – their inability to control fate. Fate, however, has been a dear friend to me. While fighting in Troy with my men, we disguised ourselves as Greeks, but my comrades were discovered and killed, while I got away. That just goes to show that it wasn’t my time. I had heard rumors about Pallas affecting the timing of poor Hector’s fate, which is just another sign that she is truly evil.

WW: Fate has always been a friend to you, it seems.

A: Yes, from escaping death in Troy, to starting fresh again, which I somewhat owe to Hector. Fate is something that calms my fears, knowing that nothing can take me away unless it is my time.

WW: Hector helped how?

A: In a dream before the battle at Troy, he told me of my fate to lead people to a new land where they can start over. My mother (Venus) must have had a hand in helping that play out, seeing as how she was my guide out of the city. Fundamentally, however, it was my fate to seek new opportunities elsewhere, but I was assisted along the way.

WW: This has been a truly eye opening discussion, Aeneas. I can’t thank you enough for clearing up some of the story, and letting us all know what has been going on with you and your mind lately. You’re truly a hero.

A: Thank you, and anytime. I just hope this clarifies things for the remainders of the city of Troy.

POV: Helen and Cassandra

Cassandra’s Lack of Comfort

Hector’s home at last

Distress has not been dispelled

My blood is still dead

Regret and Doubt from the Face that Launched 1000 Ships

As Paris wept for his brother, I contemplate whether my affection is worth the ocean his tears have created.

Point of View: the vantage point or stance from which a story is told; the eye and mind through which the action is perceived and filtered.