Dante's Inferno, Cantos Twenty through Twenty Two

Canto Twenty:
1. "Reader (God grant you benefit of this book)" (line 19). This is a further acknowledgment that Dante is an author and not just a character. He gives advice directly to the reader without disguising it through literary devices. The fact that his advice praises God could suggest a few different things. It could mean that Dante still has faith in God after all he's seen in Hell, or it could mean that he realizes he's destined for Hell and wants to get on God's good side.

Canto Twenty One:
1. This is the place for people who sold public office. This is the crime for which Dante was banished from Florence. The punishment here enters comedic territory, with some satire mixed in with the horror. This could suggest that Dante does not take seriously the fact that he has been banished, and means to make fun of those who banished him.

Canto Twenty Two:
1. "Like dolphins who...lighting stroke." (lines 17-22). Sailors in this time used to believe that seeing dolphins jumping was a sign of stormy weather ahead. This is a metaphor for the sinners. When they show themselves above the black pitch that they are swallowed in, their fate is much worse than if they had just stayed under.