Dante’s Inferno: Canto X

The calmness that Dante portrays in his conversation with Farinata and Cavalcanti is impressive and proves the level-headedness Dante’s maintains as he travels through the circles of Hell.

Farinata interrupts Virgil and Dante without any prelude from Dante, but the transition between conversation is seamless and is without reaction from Dante. The second interruption is made by Cavalcanti. This interruption doesn’t faze Farinata, who continues to calmly speak despite Cavalcanti’s anxiousness. 

Dante follows their dialogue simultaneously and effortlessly, despite the great contrast in Cavalcanti and Farinata’s words and tone. Dante internalizes both of their words with balance.

He finds the contrast Farinata’s hard gaze with the anxious eyes of Cavalcanti and compares Farinata’s passionate love for Florence and its people with Cavalcanti’s love for his son Guido.

For his understanding and for the understanding of the readers, Dante also compares the emotional side of politics with the nobleness in the humble love between father and son. 

Instead of becoming emotional, bitter, or taking things personally, Dante moves through the circles of hell internalizing the lessons he’s learned despite the constant barrage of characters that continue to introduce themselves to him.