SOURCE: "Dante and Sordello," in Comparative Literature, Vol. V, No. 1, Winter, 1953, pp. 1-15.

Bowra, an English critic and literary historian, was considered among the foremost classical scholars of the first half of the twentieth century. He also wrote extensively on modern literature, particularly modern European poetry, in studies noted for their erudition, lucidity, and straightforward style. In the following essay, he argues against the theory that Dante, by placing Sordello in Purgatory, characterized the troubadour as among the negligent rulers. Proposing that Sordello's placement in the poem resulted from his violent death and inability to repent, Bowra maintains that Dante had ample reason to respect the troubadour, citing in particular the political invective of the "Lament for Lord Blacatz," which Dante not only admired but imitated.

On the lowest slope of the Mount of Purgatory Dante and Virgil, seeing that night is coming on, decide to make enquiries...