Imagine a journey through the depths of hell, the ascent to the heights of paradise, and the reflection on the human experience in between. All of these are captured in the epic poem ‘The Divine Comedy’ by Dante Alighieri. This masterpiece has stood the test of time, inspiring generations with its great insights into the human condition.
In this article, we explore some of the most profound Dante Alighieri Quotes that continue to resonate with readers even today.
From the darkest depths of despair to the brightest heights of hope, Dante’s words offer a guide to navigating the complexities of life and the search for meaning.
So let us begin this journey with Dante, as he leads us through his remarkable vision of the afterlife and the human journey.
Brief Introduction of Dante Alighieri
Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) was an Italian poet, philosopher, and political thinker of the Late Middle Ages. He is best known for his epic poem “The Divine Comedy,” which describes his journey through Hell, and Paradise. Dante’s work has had a lasting impact on Italian literature and culture, and he is considered one of the greatest poets of all time.
Here are a few interesting facts about Alighieri :
- Dante was born in Florence, Italy, in 1265. He came from a noble family but was exiled from Florence in 1302 for his political views.
- Dante’s epic poem “The Divine Comedy” was completed shortly before his death in 1321. It is widely considered one of the greatest works of literature in the Western canon.
- In addition to his poetry, Dante was also a political thinker and wrote several works on political theory. His ideas about a united Italy helped inspire the Italian Risorgimento, the movement for Italian unification in the 19th century.
- Dante was a polyglot and was fluent in several languages, including Latin, Italian, and Provençal.
- Dante’s portrait appears on the Italian 2 euro coin, and he is celebrated annually on the national holiday “Dante Day” on March 25th.
Most Famous Dante Alighieri Quotes
The path to paradise begins in hell.
My course is set for an uncharted sea.
Where the way is hardest, there go thou; Follow your own path and let people talk.
The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.
I care not where my body may take me as long as my soul is embarked on a meaningful journey.
And I was told about this torture, that it was the Hell of carnal sins when reasons give way to desire.
Now our minds are like smoke, then they shall be like fire.
Everywhere is here and every when is now.
All hope abandon, ye who enter here.
The more a thing is perfect, the more it feels pleasure and pain.
The more souls who resonate together, the greater the intensity of their love… and, mirror-like… each soul reflects the other.
Be as a tower, that, firmly set, Shakes not its top for any blast that blows!
Three things remain with us from paradise: stars, flowers, and children.
Remember tonight… for it is the beginning of always.
There is a gentle thought that often springs to life in me, because it speaks of you.
The wisest are the most annoyed at the loss of time.
Until he shall have driven her back to Hell.
If you give people light, they will find their own way.
This mountain’s of such sort that climbing it is hardest at the start; but as we rise, the slope grows less unkind.
That with him were, what time the Love Divine.
Through me the way into the suffering city, Through me the way into eternal pain, Through me the way that runs among the lost.
Consider your origins: you were not made to live as brutes but to follow virtue and knowledge.
That which had pleased me once, troubled by spirit.
Inspirational Dante Alighieri Quotes on Love and Life
Love insists the loved one loves back.
There is no greater sorrow than to recall in misery the time when we were happy.
Compassion is not a passion; but rather a noble disposition of the soul made ready to receive love, mercy, and other charitable passions.
This mountain is so formed that it is always wearisome when one begins the ascent but becomes easier the higher one climbs.
Love, that exempts no one beloved from loving, seized me with the pleasure of this man so strongly, that, as thou seest, it doth not yet desert me.
Do not be afraid; our fate Cannot be taken from us; it is a gift.
He who sees a need and waits to be asked for help is as unkind as if he had refused it.
My will and my desire were both revolved, as is a wheel in even motion driven, by Love, which moves the sun and other stars.
Love kindled by virtue always kindles another, provided that its flame appears outwardly.
There is no greater sorrow than to recall our times of joy in wretchedness.
If the present world goes astray, the cause is in you, in you it is to be sought.
Because there is no man who can be true and just judge himself, so much will self-love deceive him.
In each fire there is a spirit; Each one is wrapped in what is burning him.
Midway along the journey of our life, I woke to find myself in a dark wood, for I had wandered off from the straight path.
Love, which absolves no one beloved from loving, seized me so strongly with his charm that, as you see, it has not left me yet. Love brought us to one death.
Because your question searches for deep meaning, I shall explain in simple words.
Thus you may understand that love alone is the true seed of every merit in you, and of all acts for which you must atone.
The day that man allows true love to appear, those things which are well-made will fall into confusion and will overturn everything we believe to be right and true.
Love and a gentle heart are but the same thing.
Now you know how much my love for you burns deep in me when I forget about our emptiness, and deal with shadows as with solid things.
And as he, who with laboring breath has escaped from the deep to the shore, turns to the perilous waters and gazes.
The secret to getting things done is to act!
Faith is the substance of the things we hope for And evidence of those that are not seen.
Often a retrospect delights the mind.
Into the eternal darkness, into the fire, and into ice.
A rapid bolt will rend the clouds apart, and every single White be seared by wounds. I tell you this. I want it all to hurt.
And we came forth to contemplate the stars.
Heaven wheels above you, displaying to you her eternal glories, and still your eyes are on the ground.
Dante Alighieri Quotes to Enrich Your Life
Through me you go into a city of weeping; through me, you go into eternal pain; through me, you go amongst the lost people.
Oh blind, oh ignorant, self-seeking cupidity which spurs as so in the short mortal life and steeps as through all eternity.
Thy soul is by vile fear assailed, which oft so overcasts a man, that he recoils from noblest resolution, like a beast at some false semblance in the twilight gloom.
Be like a solid tower whose brave height remains unmoved by all the winds that blow; the man who lets his thoughts be turned aside by one thing or another will lose sight of his true goal, his mind sapped of its strength.
From a little spark may burst a flame.
Come, follow me, and leave the world to its babblings.
Justice does not descend from its own pinnacle.
So may heaven’s grace clear away the foam from the conscience, that the river of thy thoughts may roll limpid thenceforth.
Fate’s arrow, when expected, travels slowly.
We were men once, though we’ve become trees.
Mankind is at its best when it is most free. This will be clear if we grasp the principle of liberty. We must recall that the basic principle is freedom of choice, which saying many have on their lips but few in their minds.
All things created have an order in themselves, and this begets the form that lets the universe resemble God.
The devil is not as black as he is painted.
Open your mind to what I shall disclose, and hold it fast within you; he who hears, but does not hold what he has heard, learns nothing.
Quotes from the Divine Comedy
- As the geometer intently seeks to square the circle, but he cannot reach, through thought on thought, the principle he needs, so I searched for that strange sight.
- From a small spark, a Great flame has risen.
- Heat cannot be separated from fire, or beauty from The Eternal.
- The poets leave hell and again behold the stars.
- There, pride, avarice, and envy are the tongues men know and heed, a Babel of despair.
- Pride, envy, avarice – these are the sparks that have set on fire the hearts of all men.
- Here pity only lives when it is dead – Virgil
- I found myself in a forest dark.
- O human race, born to fly upward, wherefore at a little wind dost thou so fall?
- He is, most of all, l’amor che move il sole e l’altre stelle.
- I wept not, so to stone within I grew.
- The heaven that rolls around cries aloud to you while it displays its eternal beauties, and yet your eyes are fixed upon the earth alone.
- Doubting charms me no less than knowledge.
- They yearn for what they fear for.
- It is a necessity and not a pleasure that compels us.
- It was the hour of morning, when the sun mounts with those stars that shone with it when God’s own love first set in motion those fair things.
- There’s not the least thing that can be said or done, but people will talk and find fault.
- One ought to be afraid of nothing other than things possessed of the power to do us harm, but things innocuous need not be feared.
- You can stay and die or you can walk your ugly ass back through that gate. It’s your call, pal.
- As little flowers, which the chill of night has bent and huddled, when the white sun strikes, grow straight and open fully on their stems, so did I, too, with my exhausted force.
Did you find these quotes by Dante Alighieri inspiring?
We hope this journey through some of the most inspiring Dante Alighieri quotes has been a valuable experience for you.
Which quote resonated with you the most? Let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget to share these quotes with your friends and family to enrich their lives with Dante’s wisdom.
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