Dante Canto- Level 3 Gluttony

We stood at the gates and faced a banner hosted high above us,

“For those of you who spent your lives never full,

Now you must rot surrounded by indulgences without being fed a morsel.” 

A creature stood by high and proud as a bull,

He had done this many times before, no need for rehearsal.

His expressions were clear and far from dull.

He turned quickly at the site of us, and behind him swung his dorsal.

The land was colorful, and covered in food, quite different from the others.

The bull's voice rang loud, “Don't try turning back, there is no reversal."

“Master,” I asked “Won’t this cause the souls to be bothered?”

Surrounding us were souls skinny as a pin.

He responded “This is their punishment from taking from their fathers,

All they did was indulge, yes, gluttony was their sin.”

Surrounded by ice cream, alcohol, and steak,

Their bodies will wither away without any meal; breakfast, lunch or din.

Chocolate syrup dripped from the ceilings onto the tops of moist cake.

The souls are frozen in place and are only able to watch the rest, 

Creatures from the other levels come to eat on their lunch break.

I asked “What chefs cook this food?” My master replied “Ah, only the best.”

The ferryman Charon drove through but this time through a chocolate river,

As the bull creature entered issuing new souls in as guests.

They locked eyes with the current souls whose stomachs yearn for a giver.

Forever they will feel the pain of hunger

As they watch the others eat and intoxicate their livers.

This all occurred because they acted on a blunder,

They never gave but always took.

“What level do we enter next?” was all I could wonder.

The souls will forever stay frozen with a hungered look.

Their stomaches scream with a thousand hungers,

While indulgences surround them that the chef of the hell will forever cook.


a  b  c  d  e  f  g  h  i  j  k 

The sin of gluttony lies in the third level of hell. The souls who are chosen to live there are people who spent their whole lives in gluttony. They over-consumed foods, drinks, and intoxications. The third ring of hell provides an opposite punishment for the sin itself. The ring is colorful and surrounded by food. There are cakes lining the walls, steaks covering the floor, chocolate syrup dripping from the ceiling into the rivers and cakes, and alcohol fountains in every corner. The souls are frozen with no use of their muscles. They are only able to watch as all the creatures of hell indulge themselves in the delicious foods. This punishment fits the crime of gluttony because during their lifetime they lived misguided lives, so now they are being punished with the opposite lifestyle. The souls living in level three spent their lives over-indulging themselves and putting themselves in front of others desires. Now, they are forced to be eternally surrounded by the things they once abused. They must also endure watching others eat and drink, while the souls wither away to nothing.