"

And when my gaze moved down below their faces,
I saw all were incredibly distorted,
the chin was not above the chest, the neck

was twisted—their face looked down their backs;
they had to move ahead by moving backward,
for they never saw what was ahead of them.

Perhaps there was a case of someone once
in a palsy fit becoming so distorted,
but none that I know of! I doubt there could be!

So may God grant you, Reader, benefit
from reading of my poem, just ask yourself
how I could keep my eyes dry when, close by,

I saw the image of our human form
so twisted

"

Inferno