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An aspect of Dante that I love is his choice of similes. They are so apt, and bear such scrutiny within the broader themes of the poem, as only the finest poets can achieve. Here, penitent souls are rebuked for lingering to hear an earthly song (requested by the hapless, blundering Pilgrim) rather than starting on their climb toward the gates of Purgatory:

The greatest revolution you can commit as an individual is to recognize the humanity, the divinity, of yourself.