Ascent (Allegory and Motif)
Ascent in the Paradiso serves as a sort of allegory on the large scale, but on the small scale, it becomes a potent motif. In sum, the entire Paradiso is an allegory for Dante's spiritual ascent. As he moves towards God, he moves towards spiritual and intellectual purity. But on the small scale, the imagery of flight, including wings, swift movement, and birds, recurs throughout the poem.
Lily (Symbol)
The lily appears in a number of places in the Paradiso, but it is significant in that it is both a potent symbol of purity and a common symbol for the city of Florence. Dante describes a lily stained red with blood in canto XVI to discuss the violent Florentine civil wars, but in the final cantos, the lily symbolizes the pleasure and joy of the host of heaven, likely in an allusion to Matthew 6:28.
Hunger and Thirst (Motif)
The language of hunger and thirst appears across the Paradiso. Dante often describes his own desires as hungers or thirsts, and he frequently refers to the act of feasting or dining. In canto X, he asks readers to "feed" themselves on his book. Consistently, this motif uses the language of bodily needs to describe intellectual or abstract needs, giving a concrete form to what might be seen as an immaterial desire.
The Eagle (Symbol)
The eagle appears both as a character and as a symbol in the Paradiso. First, it has significance because the eagle was believed to be able to stare directly into the sun; thus, in Dante, where the sun symbolizes God, the eagle has a direct, visual connection to the divine. But second, the eagle was an important symbol of Roman imperial power, as well as of Zeus. Dante draws on all this multivalent symbolism and works to connect the divine aspects of the animal with its military aspects.
Lightning (Symbol)
Borrowing from the imagery of Zeus, lightning in the Paradiso is generally a symbol of divine power. Yet it is somewhat ambiguous. At one point, Beatrice suggests her unveiled beauty would destroy Dante just like Jupiter's bolts would. But in the final stanza, it is a bolt of lightning that ultimately allows Dante to experience the divine.
