Narration -- The Divine Comedy

Canto I
ARGUMENT: The author tells how she began to read Dante's Divine Comedy, and what has happened in Cantos I and II of Book I -- Inferno (Hell), in a manner mimicking the poetic style of that book.

I

looked upon the bookshelf, so many
Good choices there upon that wooden shelf!
Mine eye espied one volume, in color
Red, in thickness not too daunting to me.
"What may this volume be?"-- I grabbed it, and
Behold! In mine hands did rest that Dante's
Masterpiece, called The Divine Comedy.
I pondered o'er the pages -- should this book
I read? This book, remembered for one part,
The 'Inferno' -- should this book I begin?
All written in verse -- dare I even try?
"Fear not!" cried that spirit, a worm-like one,
Who is the guardian of such as I,
And those who would read rather than, perhaps,
Eat. "Fear not! It is not too difficult!"
Then I, emboldened, cried, "This challenge I
Accept!" And so began this here journey.
        Dante is his main character within
'Divina Commedia'. Thirty-and-
Five is he, and wandering lost in some
Dangerous forests, when, lo, a mountain
He sees. This he ascends, or at least tries,
But numerous beasts prevent his ascent.
Despairing, he retreats, and comes across
Virgil; not alive, no, but a spirit,
Sent unto Dante by Beatrice, the girl
He loved, and now a spirit of pure good.
Beatrice pitied Dante, and sent Virgil;
Though offering the dead Roman no kind
Of reward, the pureness of Beatrice was
Enough to convince Virgil to do the
Noble task of escorting Dante through
First Hell, then Purgatory, then Heaven.
And so the two start up the mountainside.

Dear Blogger... -- Narration for Anne Frank's 'A Diary of a Young Girl'

Tuesday, 7 July, 2015

Dear Blogger,

I have been reading Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl. I've always just called it 'Anne Frank', though. It's really hard to understand that it was the diary of a real person. I've read historical fiction diary-type books before, so it's hard to see Anne as real.

I was surprised how soon she and her family had to go into hiding. In real time, it was a few months; but reading it, it's only a few minutes. I like how she remarked, "What's it like to disappear? I'm not really sure, myself, yet."

Obviously, they must be very quiet at times, but life goes on fairly normal. Anne even has friends over to stay the night in the "Secret Annexe".

I suppose I didn't explain the events well, did I? It seems like on of those books where everyone knows the main story already. Anne and her family, being Jewish (during Hitler's time), go into hiding in the back of an office building. It's called the "Secret Annexe". They are living there with the Van Doon (Daan) family -- a dad, a mom, and a son named Peter. Anne's family is Daddy, Mummy, and her older sister Margot.

Like I said, things are pretty normal. Anne even does school.

Anne seems like such an easygoing, yet sensitive girl. She's called a chatterbox, yet her entries are thoughtful. No one seems to think her very bright, yet her entries are surprisingly insightful. Anne understand herself as a person, and just wishes everyone else would see her that way.

That's all I have to share today.

Yours, Lee

(Phrases in parentheses are later edits on original narration, for clarification and correction. Narration is mimicking Anne's own diary entries.)