The Final Vision of God

St. Bernard prays to the Virgin Mary to intercede for Dante, asking that he may be granted the power to see God. Mary grants the prayer, and Dante's vision is purified. He sees the Eternal Light, which is a single, simple light containing the entire universe bound together by love. Within the light, he sees three circles of three colors and one dimension, representing the Trinity. He attempts to understand how the human image fits into the second circle, but his own wings are not enough. A flash of lightning grants his wish, and his desire and will are turned by the Love that moves the sun and the other stars. This is the final vision of the poem, the Beatific Vision, in which Dante achieves union with God.