Dear Giorgio,
On Dante's addresses to the reader, you could look at William Franke's
book, Dante's Interpretive Journey (Chicago & London, Chicago University
Press, 1996). This book, which sets out to explore the possible links
between Dante's Commedia and modern theories of hermeneutics, suggests
that Inferno IX's appeal to those readers who have "li 'ntelletti sani" to
seek "la dottrina che s'asconde / sotto 'l velame de li versi strani" is
used to illustrate a hermeneutic impasse, which reflects the practical
obstacles impeding the progress of Dante's pilgrim outside the City of
Dis. I don't know, though, whether this casts any light on the possible
meaning of the "verghetta".
Denise Heilbronn suggests that the rod which the messenger uses to open
the gate in Inf. IX, 89-90 recalls the rod used by the angel to measure
the Heavenly Jerusalem in Revelations XXI ("Dante's Gate of Dis and the
Heavenly Jerusalem", Studies in Philology, 72 (1975), 167-192).
Hope this helps.
Claire
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Dr C. E. Honess
Department of Italian Studies
University of Reading
Whiteknights
Reading
Berks
RG6 6AA
Tel: 0118 9316304
Fax: 0118 9316797
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