Choose a line or image from the poem, quote it in your blog entry, and comment upon why it is relevant in your life today. Be sure to cite the Canto and line numbers after your quotation.
53 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Upon reading The Inferno's Cantos I-III, the one quote that stuck out to me was "As soon as he has realized his loss, Dante lifts his eyes and sees the first light of sunrise (Divine illumination) light the shoulders of a little hill (The Mount of Joy). (Canto I, ln. 4-7) This quote is relevant to my life because just like Dante I am trying to climb a hill to my goal in life as well. Unlike Dante though, my goal is to be accepted into the college of my choice. Christian Prusinski
I thoroughly enjoy the fact that Virgil acts as Dante's guide in the first three cantos. I suppose I am one of very few in the class who understands the references, as I am the only one in AP Latin, but I digress. The lines that struck me the most in Cantos 1-3 were as follows: "But I-how should I dare? By whose permission?/I am not Aeneas. I am not Paul./Who could believe me worthy of the vision?" (Canto 2, lines 31-33) I think it is relevant to everyone's life, but I find it particularly striking at present as I apply for colleges. Why should they choose me? What makes me so great? Everyone suffers feelings of inadequacy at times. Hopefully I can conquer my own soon. --Alex
Jackie Bell: Note to Alex: Yay for mythological references! I love being a Latin geek =] Anyways. One of the noteworthy quotes I choose was "Next you shall see upon a burning mountain souls in fire and yet content in fire, knowing that whensoever it may be they yet will mount into the blessed choir" (1.11-14). I felt this quote is parcularly relevant to me because while I am going through some tough times and trying to find a balance and still keeping up with everything that is going on, I continue to hold out because I have the hope that my work will pay off sometime. However, it seems as if it will be later rather than sooner.
One of the quotations that related to my life today is, "As flowerlets drooped and puckered in the night turn up to the returning sun and spread their petals wide on his new warmth and light - just so my wilted spirits rose again and such a heat of zeal surged through my veins that I was born anew." (Canto II, line 124-129). This quote recognizes that people really do have their ups and their downs. People can get depressed and lose faith in their selves, but they always have to remember that they can always recover. I, as a student, have my fair share of breakdowns but I always remember that I can do anything if I put my mind to it.
After reading the first three cantos of Dante's Inferno, the one quote that really stood out among others to me was the opening of the novel “Midway on our life's journey, I found myself in dark woods, the right road lost.” (Canto I, lines 1-2). This quote reminded me of my journey through life, and the upcoming obstacles and roads that I must face by hopefully getting into the college of my choice.
The line that I found most relevant to my life today was "you follow me and I will be your guide and lead you forth through an eternal place." (Canto 1, Line 106)I think everyone looks for someone to help them overcome the obstacles in life, whether it is family or friends. My family has helped me with many obstacles and this quote reminded me of that.
Throughout reading The Inferno, I recognized quite a few lines that could apply to my life. One in particular is "lead me to Peter's gate and be my guide through the sad halls of Hell" (Canto I, ln. 125-126). This line sticks out to me because I believe that everyone should have a Virgil. Virgil is someone who can guide Dante through the difficulties he may experience. During my life as a senior in high school, my parents have been my Virgil in the sense that they guide me through times that are easy to breakdown, and they keep me on a truthful path.
The opening of the poem really stuck out to me, the line that reads “Midway on our life's journey, I found myself in dark woods, the right road lost,” (Canto I, lines 1-2). I thought of the dark woods as a metaphor for Dante straying from a moral life, off the "right road" to a path of poor choices. They relate to my life when I make choices I know are wrong, and get off of the "right" path. -Rachel Ruppert
One of the quote that that i found interesting was "I stumbled into darkness and i went down" (Cn. 3 ln. 134). The quote is very interesting because it relates to my life because soon i will be entering a new life in college and may be stumbling in the dark. Hopefully however, i will not faint like Dante.
My quote is "...-can I be worthy?" Canto II Line 12. This quote relates to my life because there are many occasions when I feel as if I'm unworthy and incapable of filling the high expectations people set for me. When I'm preparing for college and taking standardized tests I feel as if I am incapable of meeting my parents academic expectations. Nevertheless, I eventually realize that, like Dante, I am worthy of such high expectations. Everyone should feel worthy because it is commonly doubt not lack of ability that leads to our ultimate failure.
After reading cantos I-III the quote"you follow me and I will be your guide and lead you forth through an eternal place" (Canto 1, Line 106)really stuck out to me. I agree with kelsey, it reminded me of how my family has helped me with obstacles, but more specifically on the obstacle of college choices and applications. While deciding what college I want to attend next year, hearing guiding words such as these would be helpful.
One quote I found that applied to my life is "He will not feed on lands nor loot, but honor and love and wisdom will make straight his way." (Canto 1, ln. 96-97) This quote is an example of how I am trying to live my life in a moral way. What I have in life is what I am blessed with or work for, I do not not take from others but earn what I receive. As I mature, love, honor and wisdom are what guide me.
The quote I chose, similar to Rachel Priester's is “But I---how should I dare? By whose permission? I am not Aeneas. I am not Paul. Who could believe me worthy of the vision?” (Canto 2 Line 31-33. I often find myself wondering who am I to cast any type of judgement of right or wrong on anything. I don't know why I have been chosen for any of the good things I have been given and I don't realize why I would be considered anywhere near worthy for any of it.
The quote in The Inferno that struck me the most was "and in their blind and unattaining state their miseralbe lives have sunk so low that they must evny every other fate." (Canto III, ln. 43-45). This quote can be relevant to everyones life in that, we must enjoy live every chance we get, and there is no reason to be miserable because then we really are not living the best life possible, and we are too focused on wishing for other peoples fortunes, we forget to love our own. -Kelly.
The quote I found the most moving was "And he then: 'Follow.' And he moved ahead in silence, and I followed where he led (Canto 1, ln. 127-128)." The quote grasped my attention because Dante asks for the guidance in a complex-compound way, but receives a one word answer and embarks on his journey through the unknown. I can relate to the quote because as I apply to college through a multitude of complex and complicated steps, I await the word of acceptance and soon after will embark on my journey through the unknown.
The quote in Cantos 1-3 that i found to be most influential and remarkable is: "As soon as he has realized his loss, Dante lifts his eyes and sees the first light of sunrise light the shoulders of a little hill. (Canto I, ln. 4-7) This relates to my life, because similar to Christian, i can relate with my goal of college choice and success in Soccer and Football
After reading Canto's 1-3, the quote that struck me as the most powerful was "They yearn for what they fear." (canto 3, line 123). Although this was referencing the souls trapped in hell, whom suffering yet continue to damn God and all peacefulness upon earth, relates to my life in that while I fear rejection from my top college choices, at the same time I cannot wait to hear back from all of them and almost anticipate with excitement the letter in the mail, will it be a small letter or a large envelope?! I too have come to yearn for what I fear, that day in April when my collegiate responses will find their way into my mailbox. Alyson Hoffman
I found many interesting quotes in cantos 1-3, but the one that particularly struck me was "These have no longer any hope of death;/ And this blind life of theirs is so debased,/They envious are of every other fate (Canto 3, lines 46-48)." Though it does not apply to my life directly, I know that it is true for many people; everyone wants good things to happen to them, but to most, anything - even if it is terrible -is better than nothing at all. People would rather be tortured by some terrific event than simply content with their lives, and I have always found this aspect of human nature interesting. -Tanya
When I finished reading the first three cantos, no other quote stood out to me like the first two lines. "Midway in our life's journey, I went astray from the straight road and woke to find myself alone in a dark wood" (I. 1-3). Even though this quote is somewhat cliche, I still like it because it will always be true for everyone. Everybody goes through periods where there is a fork in the road. I sure hope I'm not midway through my life but I am technically an adult now and straying from my comfort zone and where I sometimes feel lonely and confused (in the dark), probably just as many people do.
Throughout Cantos I-III in The Inferno, for me, the most memorable quote was "and in their blind and unattaining state their miserable lives have sunk so low that they must envy every other fate."(Canto III, ln 43-45). This quote applies to my and most everyone else's life because when we feel that we have hit rock bottom or that we have committed a horrible sin, as humans we feel often envy every other person's way of life or innocence. --Madelaine Genna--
the quote most memorable in Cantos 1-3 would be, "Midway on our life's journey, I found myself In dark woods, the right road lost." Not only because it relates to my current journey through finishing high school, making college choices, and other life decisions but because it is something that everyone can relate to.
After reading Cantos IV-VI I selected the quote "...so they did not worship God's Trinity in the fullest duty. I am on of these" (Canto IV Lines 38-39) This quotes relates to my life and to all people because none of us worship God to our fullest duty. We all constantly prioritize our lives without God at the top of the list. Everyone can classify themselves under the same category as Virgil, Homer etc.
for cantos 4 through 6 the quote that struck me the most was "I fell, as a corpse might fall, to the dead floor of hell." I liked this quote because it is very extreme. Here Dante uses hyperbole and he exaggerates his simple fainting. I still wonder though why he keeps fainting, he portrays himself as such an awesome dude and then he swoons at the slightest discomfort.
Memorable line: “She brought such heaviness upon my spirit at sight of her savagery and desperation, I died from every hope of that high summit”. Response: Dante’s fear of the beasts kept him from making a journey in his life that would lead to bigger and better things in his life. The first Canto was straight-forward, except for the last paragraphs…I did not entirely understand those. What I did understand was that Dante realized he must defeat the three beasts in order to advance.
"The more a thing is perfect the more it feels of pleasure and of pain" (Canto VI, ln. 104-105) stuck out most to me while reading cantos IV-VI. I believe that this line tries to explain that if something is too perfect or too good to be true, it probably isn't. This saying relates to my life in that I can never be perfect, nor do I want to be. I would rather strive for perfection, which would ultimately lead me to be the best person I can be, than to be perfect and have nothing to work for.
When reading Cantos IV - VI I found this quote most memorable: "And they honored me far beyond courtesy, for they included me in their own number, making me sixth in that high company." (Canto IV, lines 101-103). This quote shows how one kind act can truly change a person's life. It shows that we can all be a little bit nicer. It is the little things in life that counts, even if that means just being included.
A quote that jumped out to me was, "I see new torments and new souls in pain about me everywhere. Wherever I turn away from grief I turn to grief again." (Canto VI, ln. 28-30). These quote seems to reflect any situation where a community is suffering the loss of something they love. The september 11 tragedy seemed to fit this quote perfectly in that everywhere one looked they seemed to see the mourning of the loss of our loved ones. Christian Prusinski
Cantos 4-6 Jackie Bell: "The pain of these below us here, drains the color from my face for pity, and leaves this pallor you mistake for fear." (4.19-21) I am a complete extrovert and so always find myself picking up on the emotions and feelings of those around me. As of late, the reason for some of my suppressed demeanor has been on account of my subconscious proclivity to taking the burden of others unto myself. As I learn time and time again, this gets to me a bit much for me to handle, and so then I reflect the fact that I am carrying others' sadness as well as my own.
After reading cantos 4 through 6 the quote that struck me the most powerful was “Instruct me, Master and most noble Sir, better to understand the perfect creed that conquers every error.” (Canto IV, lines 45-48) I liked this quote because it illustrates how Dante feels toward Virgil and how he respects his authority. This quote also reminded me of the way I look up to my parents and treat them with authority.
Cantos 7-9 Jackie Bell: "What guilt is man that he can come to this?" (7.21) Just a quick note on human nature. It is sometimes almost unbelieveable to realize what horrors we are capable of and to what level we can degrade our inherent goodness, just as Dante is almost unbelieving of the punishments of Hell. Just as we a capable of much good, this is balanced by our capability of great evils, and therefore, great punishment of our evils.
From cantos 4-6, I found a very powerful line that easily applies to today's situations. "There/pride, avarice, and envy are the tongues/men know and heed, a Babel of despair." (Canto VI, 70-72) So often we seem to find corruption in our leaders and the people who "pull the strings" of national and global politics. Will the honest ever have a say? Do the honest even exist? Hopefully our leaders have an honest plan for the future, free of corruption and greed prevalent in a materialistic society. --Alex
After reading cantos 7 through 9, the one quote that stuck out to me was, “Peace, you wolf of Hell. Choke back your bile and let its venom blister your throat.” (Canto VII, lines 8-9). When I first read this statement, I had to re-read it because it was such a powerful quote. The use of imagery and metaphor in just this one sentence by Dante allowed me to visualize clearly what the depths of hell really might be like.
my memorable quote from cantos 7-9 was this, "With their palms they beat their brows, with their nails they clawed they bleeding breasts." In this, the furies seem to be incessantly torturing themselves with no ability to control or hinder their actions. It seems that part of their eternal punishment is to hurt themselves in this way. This is an unbelievable horror and i cannot imagine something like this. This description really grabs the reader's attention and makes them think what it might be like to be in hell. -Andrew Schwarz
The most memorable quotes from cantos 7-9 were, " Why do you hoard?" and Why do you waste?" (Canto VII ln. 30) In life we all take advantage of things we have in life. We have become a wasteful society were we abuse the gift of food, clothing, and shelter. Learning to share our wealth is not easy since everyone is concerned for themselves, but we all should learn to look at the big picture and consider others when we hoard or waste.
I found "Hoarding and squandering wasted all their light and brought them screaming to his brawl of wraiths." (Canto VII, lines 58-59) to be the most meaningful. It teaches us that these sins are just as important as any others are. Sometimes people get greedy and we need to realize that it is definitely not a good thing. This shows the terrible punishment of those who hoarded and wasted.
Yay blogging! One powerful image struck me in canto 7: "This is a lost ambition./In their sordid lives they laboured to be blind,/ and now their souls have dimmed beyond recognition." (Canto VII, 52-54) All too often we lose ourselves in our own pleasures and ambitions to the extent that we fade away into oblivion. We become shadows of the people we once were when we become obsessed with appearances, greed, money, or any of those materialistic goods. Can we pull ourselves away from such pitiable desires before we disappear? Only time will tell...
The one statement that caught my attention while reading Cantos VII-IX was, " Belts of greenest hydras wound and wound about their waists, and snakes and horned serpents grew from their heads like matted hair and bound." I enjoyed how detailed it was to the description of the characters. Dante paints a picture in words of the image he is seeing in the depths of hell. Christian Prusinski
Upon reading cantos 7-9, "In their sordid lives thay labored to be blind, and now their souls have been dimmed past recognition" (Cantos VII, Ln. 53-54) stuck out to me most clearly. The hoarders and wasters of hell sought nothing but materialistic things instead of finding their true self. Today's society must learn to focus on what is on the inside of people instead of what things people can own. If we do not know who we are, neither will anyone else, which will ultimately lead to the fading of our individualtiy as did the souls in hell.
Cantos 1-3 In Canto 3, Virgil tells Dante that "Here you must put by all dividion of spirit, and gather you soul against all cowardice", refering to the entrance of hell. This is significant because it is the foreshadowing of their journey though hell. Each level that the two enter Dante will be faced with realities that will stain his emotions, and he will have to prepare himself against the cowardice he will experience. The quote also refers to the enscription above the entrance to hell which states "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here", which provides insight to the state of every spirit that resides in hell. There is no hope in hell.
Cantos 4-6 The quote "And they,too, howl like dogs in the freezing storm, turning and turning from it as if they thought one naked side could keep the other warm.", describes the Gluttons that are being constantly torn to pieces by Cerberus, the three headed dog. The discription/simile stood out because it provided a vivid image of the torment that the people in hell are experiencing. The author turned a description into emotion that the reader can relate too.
Thus far, I enjoy the poem and enjoy the lectures given in class on it. I enjoyed the quote "you follow me and I will be your guide and lead you forth through an eternal place." (Canto 1, Line 106) It seems most relevant to my life because I search for someone to guide me through things that I am unable to get through by myself. Dante relies on Virgil to get him safely through the inferno, much as I rely on others in "scary" situations.
In response to Cantos 7-9 I chose the quote "...stand by me now." (Canto 8 Line 97) This quote relates to my life because there are many times when I loose faith in myself and need someone to stand by me for reassurance and support.
In cantos 4-6, I liked "I pass from light into eternal night." (Canto IV Line 154)Anytime in life when we move from something positive to negative this could apply.
In Cantos 7-9, I thought "These tonsured wraiths of greed were priests indeed, and popes and cardinals for it is in these the weed of avarice sows its rankest seed"(Canto VII Line 46)This relates to life today because in many religions, the leaders can be corrupt and greedy. They should take this book as a warning.
Reading Cantos I-IX, one of the quotes that stuck to me the most was "Abandon all hope ye who enter here." (Canto III, l. 11). This quote is interesting and as I read on, I started to actually put this quote into my thinking through this book. The punishments and sins that the characters actually did like in Canto VII, the punishment is their souls are encumbered by dead weights and one excess to punish the other. Not only is this punishment sad sounding but there are more sins as we continue reading on to the other Cantos.
In Canto's 4-6, the quote that embedded itself most in my mind was from Canto six. The quote was "huge hailstones, dirty water, and black snow pour from the dismal air to putrefy the putrid slush that awaits for them below." (canto 6, lines 10-12). I saw this applying to my life in that as i forge on through my last year of High School, and i conclude my college application process, I will potentially have anxiety and even disappointment waiting for me. There will be hard moments, yet there will be good moments, all awaiting for me in the future, above or below. Forging through with confidence and assurance that all will work out in the end is what will get all of us through these stressful times.
After reading Cantos 7-9, i found it amusing that all of the characters in Hell try and appear tuff and malicious to Virgil and Dante, however, when the heavenly bodies are mentioned, all viciousness is laid aside and pasvity takes over. A remarkable quote in Canto nine states, "He is one who needs no guide, and at his touch all gates must spring aside." (Canto 9, lines 127-8). This was in reference to the Rebellious Angels who taunt Dante and Virgil, threatening Medusa's arrival, the suddently, when God appraoches, they retreat for the know the power he holds.
Ronell Molina "Poet, you who must guide me, before you trust me that arduous passage look to me and look through me- can I be worthy" This one hit me a little deep because I am having self doubts to in my music and i sometimes ask myself if I am good enough, but my director just as Virgil did says yes.
53 comments:
Upon reading The Inferno's Cantos I-III, the one quote that stuck out to me was "As soon as he has realized his loss, Dante lifts his eyes and sees the first light of sunrise (Divine illumination) light the shoulders of a little hill (The Mount of Joy). (Canto I, ln. 4-7) This quote is relevant to my life because just like Dante I am trying to climb a hill to my goal in life as well. Unlike Dante though, my goal is to be accepted into the college of my choice.
Christian Prusinski
I thoroughly enjoy the fact that Virgil acts as Dante's guide in the first three cantos. I suppose I am one of very few in the class who understands the references, as I am the only one in AP Latin, but I digress. The lines that struck me the most in Cantos 1-3 were as follows: "But I-how should I dare? By whose permission?/I am not Aeneas. I am not Paul./Who could believe me worthy of the vision?" (Canto 2, lines 31-33) I think it is relevant to everyone's life, but I find it particularly striking at present as I apply for colleges. Why should they choose me? What makes me so great? Everyone suffers feelings of inadequacy at times. Hopefully I can conquer my own soon. --Alex
Jackie Bell:
Note to Alex: Yay for mythological references! I love being a Latin geek =]
Anyways. One of the noteworthy quotes I choose was "Next you shall see upon a burning mountain souls in fire and yet content in fire, knowing that whensoever it may be they yet will mount into the blessed choir" (1.11-14). I felt this quote is parcularly relevant to me because while I am going through some tough times and trying to find a balance and still keeping up with everything that is going on, I continue to hold out because I have the hope that my work will pay off sometime. However, it seems as if it will be later rather than sooner.
One of the quotations that related to my life today is, "As flowerlets drooped and puckered in the night turn up to the returning sun and spread their petals wide on his new warmth and light - just so my wilted spirits rose again and such a heat of zeal surged through my veins that I was born anew." (Canto II, line 124-129). This quote recognizes that people really do have their ups and their downs. People can get depressed and lose faith in their selves, but they always have to remember that they can always recover. I, as a student, have my fair share of breakdowns but I always remember that I can do anything if I put my mind to it.
After reading the first three cantos of Dante's Inferno, the one quote that really stood out among others to me was the opening of the novel “Midway on our life's journey, I found myself in dark woods, the right road lost.” (Canto I, lines 1-2). This quote reminded me of my journey through life, and the upcoming obstacles and roads that I must face by hopefully getting into the college of my choice.
The line that I found most relevant to my life today was "you follow me and I will be your guide and lead you forth through an eternal place." (Canto 1, Line 106)I think everyone looks for someone to help them overcome the obstacles in life, whether it is family or friends. My family has helped me with many obstacles and this quote reminded me of that.
Throughout reading The Inferno, I recognized quite a few lines that could apply to my life. One in particular is "lead me to Peter's gate and be my guide through the sad halls of Hell" (Canto I, ln. 125-126). This line sticks out to me because I believe that everyone should have a Virgil. Virgil is someone who can guide Dante through the difficulties he may experience. During my life as a senior in high school, my parents have been my Virgil in the sense that they guide me through times that are easy to breakdown, and they keep me on a truthful path.
The opening of the poem really stuck out to me, the line that reads “Midway on our life's journey, I found myself in dark woods, the right road lost,” (Canto I, lines 1-2). I thought of the dark woods as a metaphor for Dante straying from a moral life, off the "right road" to a path of poor choices. They relate to my life when I make choices I know are wrong, and get off of the "right" path.
-Rachel Ruppert
One of the quote that that i found interesting was "I stumbled into darkness and i went down" (Cn. 3 ln. 134). The quote is very interesting because it relates to my life because soon i will be entering a new life in college and may be stumbling in the dark. Hopefully however, i will not faint like Dante.
the above was from Andrew Schwarz
My quote is "...-can I be worthy?" Canto II Line 12. This quote relates to my life because there are many occasions when I feel as if I'm unworthy and incapable of filling the high expectations people set for me. When I'm preparing for college and taking standardized tests I feel as if I am incapable of meeting my parents academic expectations. Nevertheless, I eventually realize that, like Dante, I am worthy of such high expectations. Everyone should feel worthy because it is commonly doubt not lack of ability that leads to our ultimate failure.
After reading cantos I-III the quote"you follow me and I will be your guide and lead you forth through an eternal place" (Canto 1, Line 106)really stuck out to me. I agree with kelsey, it reminded me of how my family has helped me with obstacles, but more specifically on the obstacle of college choices and applications. While deciding what college I want to attend next year, hearing guiding words such as these would be helpful.
One quote I found that applied to my life is "He will not feed on lands nor loot, but honor and love and wisdom will make straight his way." (Canto 1, ln. 96-97) This quote is an example of how I am trying to live my life in a moral way. What I have in life is what I am blessed with or work for, I do not not take from others but earn what I receive. As I mature, love, honor and wisdom are what guide me.
The quote I chose, similar to Rachel Priester's is “But I---how should I dare? By whose permission? I am not Aeneas. I am not Paul. Who could believe me worthy of the vision?” (Canto 2 Line 31-33. I often find myself wondering who am I to cast any type of judgement of right or wrong on anything. I don't know why I have been chosen for any of the good things I have been given and I don't realize why I would be considered anywhere near worthy for any of it.
The quote in The Inferno that struck me the most was "and in their blind and unattaining state their miseralbe lives have sunk so low that they must evny every other fate." (Canto III, ln. 43-45). This quote can be relevant to everyones life in that, we must enjoy live every chance we get, and there is no reason to be miserable because then we really are not living the best life possible, and we are too focused on wishing for other peoples fortunes, we forget to love our own.
-Kelly.
The quote I found the most moving was "And he then: 'Follow.' And he moved ahead in silence, and I followed where he led (Canto 1, ln. 127-128)." The quote grasped my attention because Dante asks for the guidance in a complex-compound way, but receives a one word answer and embarks on his journey through the unknown. I can relate to the quote because as I apply to college through a multitude of complex and complicated steps, I await the word of acceptance and soon after will embark on my journey through the unknown.
The quote in Cantos 1-3 that i found to be most influential and remarkable is: "As soon as he has realized his loss, Dante lifts his eyes and sees the first light of sunrise light the shoulders of a little hill. (Canto I, ln. 4-7) This relates to my life, because similar to Christian, i can relate with my goal of college choice and success in Soccer and Football
After reading Canto's 1-3, the quote that struck me as the most powerful was "They yearn for what they fear." (canto 3, line 123). Although this was referencing the souls trapped in hell, whom suffering yet continue to damn God and all peacefulness upon earth, relates to my life in that while I fear rejection from my top college choices, at the same time I cannot wait to hear back from all of them and almost anticipate with excitement the letter in the mail, will it be a small letter or a large envelope?! I too have come to yearn for what I fear, that day in April when my collegiate responses will find their way into my mailbox.
Alyson Hoffman
I found many interesting quotes in cantos 1-3, but the one that particularly struck me was "These have no longer any hope of death;/ And this blind life of theirs is so debased,/They envious are of every other fate (Canto 3, lines 46-48)." Though it does not apply to my life directly, I know that it is true for many people; everyone wants good things to happen to them, but to most, anything - even if it is terrible -is better than nothing at all. People would rather be tortured by some terrific event than simply content with their lives, and I have always found this aspect of human nature interesting. -Tanya
When I finished reading the first three cantos, no other quote stood out to me like the first two lines. "Midway in our life's journey, I went astray from the straight road and woke to find myself alone in a dark wood" (I. 1-3). Even though this quote is somewhat cliche, I still like it because it will always be true for everyone. Everybody goes through periods where there is a fork in the road. I sure hope I'm not midway through my life but I am technically an adult now and straying from my comfort zone and where I sometimes feel lonely and confused (in the dark), probably just as many people do.
Throughout Cantos I-III in The Inferno, for me, the most memorable quote was "and in their blind and unattaining state their miserable lives have sunk so low that they must envy every other fate."(Canto III, ln 43-45). This quote applies to my and most everyone else's life because when we feel that we have hit rock bottom or that we have committed a horrible sin, as humans we feel often envy every other person's way of life or innocence.
--Madelaine Genna--
the quote most memorable in Cantos 1-3 would be, "Midway on our life's journey, I found myself
In dark woods, the right road lost."
Not only because it relates to my current journey through finishing high school, making college choices, and other life decisions but because it is something that everyone can relate to.
After reading Cantos IV-VI I selected the quote "...so they did not worship God's Trinity in the fullest duty. I am on of these" (Canto IV Lines 38-39) This quotes relates to my life and to all people because none of us worship God to our fullest duty. We all constantly prioritize our lives without God at the top of the list. Everyone can classify themselves under the same category as Virgil, Homer etc.
for cantos 4 through 6 the quote that struck me the most was "I fell, as a corpse might fall, to the dead floor of hell." I liked this quote because it is very extreme. Here Dante uses hyperbole and he exaggerates his simple fainting. I still wonder though why he keeps fainting, he portrays himself as such an awesome dude and then he swoons at the slightest discomfort.
Memorable line: “She brought such heaviness upon my spirit at sight of her savagery and desperation, I died from every hope of that high summit”.
Response: Dante’s fear of the beasts kept him from making a journey in his life that would lead to bigger and better things in his life. The first Canto was straight-forward, except for the last paragraphs…I did not entirely understand those. What I did understand was that Dante realized he must defeat the three beasts in order to advance.
"The more a thing is perfect the more it feels of pleasure and of pain" (Canto VI, ln. 104-105) stuck out most to me while reading cantos IV-VI. I believe that this line tries to explain that if something is too perfect or too good to be true, it probably isn't. This saying relates to my life in that I can never be perfect, nor do I want to be. I would rather strive for perfection, which would ultimately lead me to be the best person I can be, than to be perfect and have nothing to work for.
When reading Cantos IV - VI I found this quote most memorable: "And they honored me far beyond courtesy, for they included me in their own number, making me sixth in that high company." (Canto IV, lines 101-103). This quote shows how one kind act can truly change a person's life. It shows that we can all be a little bit nicer. It is the little things in life that counts, even if that means just being included.
A quote that jumped out to me was, "I see new torments and new souls in pain about me everywhere. Wherever I turn away from grief I turn to grief again." (Canto VI, ln. 28-30). These quote seems to reflect any situation where a community is suffering the loss of something they love. The september 11 tragedy seemed to fit this quote perfectly in that everywhere one looked they seemed to see the mourning of the loss of our loved ones.
Christian Prusinski
Cantos 4-6
Jackie Bell:
"The pain of these below us here, drains the color from my face for pity, and leaves this pallor you mistake for fear." (4.19-21)
I am a complete extrovert and so always find myself picking up on the emotions and feelings of those around me. As of late, the reason for some of my suppressed demeanor has been on account of my subconscious proclivity to taking the burden of others unto myself. As I learn time and time again, this gets to me a bit much for me to handle, and so then I reflect the fact that I am carrying others' sadness as well as my own.
After reading cantos 4 through 6 the quote that struck me the most powerful was “Instruct me, Master and most noble Sir, better to understand the perfect creed that conquers every error.” (Canto IV, lines 45-48) I liked this quote because it illustrates how Dante feels toward Virgil and how he respects his authority. This quote also reminded me of the way I look up to my parents and treat them with authority.
Cantos 7-9
Jackie Bell:
"What guilt is man that he can come to this?" (7.21)
Just a quick note on human nature. It is sometimes almost unbelieveable to realize what horrors we are capable of and to what level we can degrade our inherent goodness, just as Dante is almost unbelieving of the punishments of Hell. Just as we a capable of much good, this is balanced by our capability of great evils, and therefore, great punishment of our evils.
From cantos 4-6, I found a very powerful line that easily applies to today's situations. "There/pride, avarice, and envy are the tongues/men know and heed, a Babel of despair." (Canto VI, 70-72) So often we seem to find corruption in our leaders and the people who "pull the strings" of national and global politics. Will the honest ever have a say? Do the honest even exist? Hopefully our leaders have an honest plan for the future, free of corruption and greed prevalent in a materialistic society. --Alex
After reading cantos 7 through 9, the one quote that stuck out to me was, “Peace, you wolf of Hell. Choke back your bile and let its venom blister your throat.” (Canto VII, lines 8-9). When I first read this statement, I had to re-read it because it was such a powerful quote. The use of imagery and metaphor in just this one sentence by Dante allowed me to visualize clearly what the depths of hell really might be like.
my memorable quote from cantos 7-9 was this, "With their palms they beat their brows, with their nails they clawed they bleeding breasts." In this, the furies seem to be incessantly torturing themselves with no ability to control or hinder their actions. It seems that part of their eternal punishment is to hurt themselves in this way. This is an unbelievable horror and i cannot imagine something like this. This description really grabs the reader's attention and makes them think what it might be like to be in hell.
-Andrew Schwarz
The most memorable quotes from cantos 7-9 were, " Why do you hoard?" and Why do you waste?" (Canto VII ln. 30) In life we all take advantage of things we have in life. We have become a wasteful society were we abuse the gift of food, clothing, and shelter. Learning to share our wealth is not easy since everyone is concerned for themselves, but we all should learn to look at the big picture and consider others when we hoard or waste.
I found "Hoarding and squandering wasted all their light and brought them screaming to his brawl of wraiths." (Canto VII, lines 58-59) to be the most meaningful. It teaches us that these sins are just as important as any others are. Sometimes people get greedy and we need to realize that it is definitely not a good thing. This shows the terrible punishment of those who hoarded and wasted.
Yay blogging! One powerful image struck me in canto 7: "This is a lost ambition./In their sordid lives they laboured to be blind,/ and now their souls have dimmed beyond recognition." (Canto VII, 52-54) All too often we lose ourselves in our own pleasures and ambitions to the extent that we fade away into oblivion. We become shadows of the people we once were when we become obsessed with appearances, greed, money, or any of those materialistic goods. Can we pull ourselves away from such pitiable desires before we disappear? Only time will tell...
The one statement that caught my attention while reading Cantos VII-IX was, " Belts of greenest hydras wound and wound about their waists, and snakes and horned serpents grew from their heads like matted hair and bound." I enjoyed how detailed it was to the description of the characters. Dante paints a picture in words of the image he is seeing in the depths of hell.
Christian Prusinski
Upon reading cantos 7-9, "In their sordid lives thay labored to be blind, and now their souls have been dimmed past recognition" (Cantos VII, Ln. 53-54) stuck out to me most clearly. The hoarders and wasters of hell sought nothing but materialistic things instead of finding their true self. Today's society must learn to focus on what is on the inside of people instead of what things people can own. If we do not know who we are, neither will anyone else, which will ultimately lead to the fading of our individualtiy as did the souls in hell.
Cantos 1-3
In Canto 3, Virgil tells Dante that "Here you must put by all dividion of spirit, and gather you soul against all cowardice", refering to the entrance of hell. This is significant because it is the foreshadowing of their journey though hell. Each level that the two enter Dante will be faced with realities that will stain his emotions, and he will have to prepare himself against the cowardice he will experience. The quote also refers to the enscription above the entrance to hell which states "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here", which provides insight to the state of every spirit that resides in hell. There is no hope in hell.
Cantos 4-6
The quote "And they,too, howl like dogs in the freezing storm, turning and turning from it as if they thought one naked side could keep the other warm.", describes the Gluttons that are being constantly torn to pieces by Cerberus, the three headed dog. The discription/simile stood out because it provided a vivid image of the torment that the people in hell are experiencing. The author turned a description into emotion that the reader can relate too.
Thus far, I enjoy the poem and enjoy the lectures given in class on it. I enjoyed the quote "you follow me and I will be your guide and lead you forth through an eternal place." (Canto 1, Line 106) It seems most relevant to my life because I search for someone to guide me through things that I am unable to get through by myself. Dante relies on Virgil to get him safely through the inferno, much as I rely on others in "scary" situations.
In response to Cantos 7-9 I chose the quote "...stand by me now." (Canto 8 Line 97) This quote relates to my life because there are many times when I loose faith in myself and need someone to stand by me for reassurance and support.
In cantos 4-6, I liked "I pass from light into eternal night." (Canto IV Line 154)Anytime in life when we move from something positive to negative this could apply.
In Cantos 7-9, I thought "These tonsured wraiths of greed were priests indeed, and popes and cardinals for it is in these the weed of avarice sows its rankest seed"(Canto VII Line 46)This relates to life today because in many religions, the leaders can be corrupt and greedy. They should take this book as a warning.
Reading Cantos I-IX, one of the quotes that stuck to me the most was "Abandon all hope ye who enter here." (Canto III, l. 11). This quote is interesting and as I read on, I started to actually put this quote into my thinking through this book. The punishments and sins that the characters actually did like in Canto VII, the punishment is their souls are encumbered by dead weights and one excess to punish the other. Not only is this punishment sad sounding but there are more sins as we continue reading on to the other Cantos.
In Canto's 4-6, the quote that embedded itself most in my mind was from Canto six. The quote was "huge hailstones, dirty water, and black snow pour from the dismal air to putrefy the putrid slush that awaits for them below." (canto 6, lines 10-12). I saw this applying to my life in that as i forge on through my last year of High School, and i conclude my college application process, I will potentially have anxiety and even disappointment waiting for me. There will be hard moments, yet there will be good moments, all awaiting for me in the future, above or below. Forging through with confidence and assurance that all will work out in the end is what will get all of us through these stressful times.
After reading Cantos 7-9, i found it amusing that all of the characters in Hell try and appear tuff and malicious to Virgil and Dante, however, when the heavenly bodies are mentioned, all viciousness is laid aside and pasvity takes over. A remarkable quote in Canto nine states, "He is one who needs no guide, and at his touch all gates must spring aside." (Canto 9, lines 127-8). This was in reference to the Rebellious Angels who taunt Dante and Virgil, threatening Medusa's arrival, the suddently, when God appraoches, they retreat for the know the power he holds.
Ronell Molina
"Poet, you who must guide me, before you trust me that arduous passage look to me and look through me- can I be worthy" This one hit me a little deep because I am having self doubts to in my music and i sometimes ask myself if I am good enough, but my director just as Virgil did says yes.
Post a Comment