O Intelligence Moving the Third Heaven by Dante Alighieri
Analysis
After the death of Beatrice, Dante turned his love to philosophy and wisdom. He address "O Intelligence Moving the Third Heaven" directly to her. The third heaven, according to Dante, is love.
In today's world, Dante is still correct. Love is one of the most ultimate emotions. The others being hate and depression. Love is also one of the most written about emotions in history. Even today, teens and adults continue to write about their loved one as if they are the first to ever do so. They aren't, of course, and they know that. Nonetheless, the passion that fills their writing is something unlike any other. It's easy to write because the emotion is so great. Dante possessed such an emotion for love.
Poem
O Intelligence Moving the Third Heaven (From The first Canzone of Book 2 of "The Banquet") O Intelligences moving the third heaven, the reasons heed that from my heart come forth, so new, it seems, that no one else should know. The heaven set in motion by your worth, beings in gentleness created even, keeps my existence in its present woe, so that to speak of what I feel and know means to converse most worthily with you: I beg you, then, to listen to me well. Of something in me new I now will tell- how grief and sadness this my soul subdue, and how a contradiction from afar speaks through the rays descending from your star. A thought of loveliness seems now to be life to my ailing heart: it used to fly oft to the very presence of your Sire; and there a glorious Lady sitting high it also saw, who spoke so pleasingly, my soul would say "Up there dwells my desire." Now one appears, which I in dread admire a mighty lord that makes it flee away, so mighty, terror from my heart outflows. To me he brings a lady very close, and "Who salvation seeks," I hear him say, "let him but gaze into this lady's eyes, if he can suffer agony of sighs." Such is the contradiction, it can slay the humble thought that is still telling me of a fair angel up in heaven crowned. My soul bemoans its present misery, saying, "Unhappy me! How fast away went he, in whom I had some solace found!" And of my eyes it says, with mournful sound, "When was it such a lady pierced their sight? Why did they fail to see me in her guise? I said, ‘Oh, surely, in this lady's eyes the one must dwell who kills my peers with fright.' To no avail I warned them (Oh, my dread!), but look at her they did, and I fell dead." "Oh, no, not dead, you are bewildered much, O my poor soul, so pained and grieving so," replies a loving spirit, kind and sweet, "For the fair woman, that you feel and know, has changed your life so quickly and so much, you now are trembling in your vile defeat. Look how humility and mercy meet in one so wise and gentle in her height: so call her Lady, as by now you must. And you will see, if steadfast is your trust, such lofty miracles, such full delight, you'll say, ‘O Love, true lord, do as you please: here is your humble handmaid on her knees.'" My song, I do believe that those are few who can unravel your most hidden sense, so intricate and mighty is your wit. Therefore, if by some fate or circumstance you stray and venture among people who seem not completely to have fathomed it, oh, then, I pray, console yourself a bit, and say, O lovely latest song, to them, "Notice, at least, how beautiful I am!" Written 1304-1307.