“Remember tonight… for it is the beginning of always.”
- c. 1265 – September 14, 1321
- Italian
- Poet, Writer, Philosopher, Author of The Divine Comedy
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Quote
“Remember tonight… for it is the beginning of always.”
Explanation
This quote is widely attributed to Dante Alighieri, but there is no textual evidence from any of his authenticated works—including The Divine Comedy, La Vita Nuova, or his philosophical treatises—that contains this line or anything closely resembling it. The style, tone, and romantic sentiment are far more modern than Dante’s literary and theological language, suggesting this is a fabricated attribution likely circulated through popular media or modern romantic writing.
Dante’s true writings, especially in La Vita Nuova, do explore themes of love, memory, and transcendence, often through the lens of his devotion to Beatrice. However, his expressions are formally poetic and deeply rooted in medieval theology and philosophy. This quote’s structure—“the beginning of always”—is linguistically anachronistic, using abstract phrasing that would not align with 14th-century Italian idiom or Dante’s literary techniques.
Because the quote cannot be verified as Dante’s, a proper explanation based on his authorship is not appropriate. While it expresses a poetic and emotionally resonant idea—that a significant moment can mark the start of something eternal—it should not be credited to Dante. It stands better as a modern romantic expression, not a historical quotation.
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