Charonbeatingthelaggingshadeswithhisoar；AntaiospickingupthepoetswithhisfingersandloweringtheminthehollowofhishandintotheNinthCircle；Satancrunchinginhismonstrousjawsthearch-traitors，Judas，BrutusandCassius；UgolinoappeasinghisfamineuponthetoughnapeofRuggieri；BertranddeBornlookingifImaybeallowedtheexpressionathisowndisseveredhead；therobbersexchangingformwithserpents；thewholedemoniactroopofMalebolge，——arenotallthesethingsgrotesquebeyondeverythingelseinpoetry？Tous，nurturedinthisscientificnineteenthcentury，theydoubtlessseemso；andbyLeighHunt，whohadtheeighteenth-centurywayofappreciatingotheragesthanhisown，theywereuniformlytreatedassuch。Toustheyareatfirstsightgrotesque，becausetheyarenolongerrealtous。Wehaveceasedtobelieveinsuchthings，andtheynolongerawakenanyfeelingakintoterror。Butinthethirteenthcentury，inthemindsofDanteandhisreaders，theywereliving，terriblerealities。ThatDantebelievedliterallyinallthisunearthlyworld，anddescribeditwithsuchwonderfulminutenessbecausehebelievedinit，admitsoflittledoubt。AshewalkedthestreetsofVeronathepeoplewhispered，“See，thereisthemanwhohasbeeninhell！“Truly，hehadbeeninhell，anddescribeditashehadseenit，withthekeeneyesofimaginationandfaith。Withallitsweirdunearthliness，thereishardlyanotherbookinthewholerangeofhumanliteraturewhichismarkedwithsuchunswervingveracityasthe“DivineComedy。“
Nothingistheresetdownarbitrarily，outofwantoncapriceorforthesakeofpoeticeffect，butbecausetoDante’simaginationithadsoimposinglyshownitselfthathecouldnotbutdescribeitashesawit。Inreadinghiscantosweforgetthepoet，andhavebeforeusonlytheveracioustravellerinstrangerealms，fromwhomtheshrewdestcross-examinationcanelicitbutoneconsistentaccount。Tohismind，andtothemediaevalmindgenerally，thisouterkingdom，withitswardsofDespair，Expiation，andBeatitude，wasasrealastheHolyRomanEmpireitself。Itsextraordinaryphenomenawerenottobelookedonwithcriticaleyesandcalledgrotesque，butweretobeseenwitheyesoffaith，andtobeworshipped，loved，orshudderedat。Rightlyviewed，therefore，thepoemofDanteisnotgrotesque，butunspeakablyawfulandsolemn；andthestatementisjustifiedthatallgrotesquenessandbizarrerieinitsinterpretationistobesedulouslyavoided。
Therefore，whileacknowledgingtheaccuracywithwhichMr。
Longfellowhaskeptpacewithhisoriginalthroughlineafterline，followingthe“footingofitsfeet，“accordingtothemottoquotedonhistitle-page，IcannotbutthinkthathisaccuracywouldhavebeenofasomewhathigherkindifhehadnowandthenallowedhimselfalittlemorelibertyofchoicebetweenEnglishandRomanicwordsandidioms。
Afewexampleswillperhapsservetostrengthenaswellastoelucidatestillfurtherthisposition。