I saw within Its depth how It conceives_x000D_ _x000D_ All things in a single volume bound by Love_x000D_ _x000D_ of which the universe is the scattered leaves.
Dante AlighieriRead
Through me you pass into the city of woe: Through me you pass into eternal pain: Through me among the people lost for aye. Justice the founder of my fabric moved: To rear me was the task of power divine, Supremest wisdom, and primeval love. Before me things create were none, save things Eternal, and eternal I shall endure. All hope abandon, ye who enter here.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote illustrates the threshold to despair and the permanence of suffering and justice.
In this excerpt from Dante Alighieri's 'Inferno,' the speaker describes the entrance to Hell, emphasizing the irreversible nature of despair and the consequences of human actions. It reflects on the themes of justice and divine power, suggesting that the eternal suffering within is a necessary consequence of moral laws, leading one to abandon all hope when entering this realm of lost souls.
Themes
SufferingJusticeEternalDespairHopeWisdom
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about moral philosophy, one might quote Dante's lines to emphasize the consequences of actions.
More from Dante Alighieri
All quotes →Before me things created were none, save things Eternal, and eternal I endure. All hope abandon, ye who enter here.
Dante AlighieriRead
The customs and fashions of men change like leaves on the bough, some of which go and others come.
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Heaven wheels above you, displaying to you her eternal glories, and still your eyes are on the ground.
Dante AlighieriRead
Pride, envy, avarice - these are the sparks have set on fire the hearts of all men.
Dante AlighieriRead
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.
Dante AlighieriRead
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