“In the middle of the journey of our life I came to myself within a dark wood where the straight way was lost.”
- c. 1265 – September 14, 1321
- Italian
- Poet, Writer, Philosopher, Author of The Divine Comedy
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Quote
“In the middle of the journey of our life I came to myself within a dark wood where the straight way was lost.”
Explanation
This is the opening line of Dante Alighieri’s Inferno, Canto I, and one of the most iconic beginnings in all of Western literature. In the original Italian: “Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita / mi ritrovai per una selva oscura, / ché la diritta via era smarrita.” Here, Dante immediately establishes the allegorical framework for The Divine Comedy: a journey of the soul through sin, purification, and ultimately salvation.
The phrase “in the middle of the journey of our life” refers to the midpoint of a typical human lifespan, traditionally considered to be around age 35, which was Dante’s approximate age when the poem is set. By saying “our life” rather than “my life,” Dante universalizes his experience—it is every soul’s journey. The “dark wood” symbolizes confusion, spiritual crisis, and moral error, and the “straight way” refers to the righteous path toward truth and God, which he has lost.
This opening remains profoundly relevant today. It speaks to the existential crises and periods of lost direction that individuals face—moments when one’s values, purpose, or beliefs seem obscured. Dante’s descent into the dark wood is the first step toward transformation, reminding us that acknowledging one’s disorientation is the beginning of enlightenment. His words invite reflection: before we can be found, we must first admit we are lost.
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