As the poem
opens, Dante is at the midpoint in life, having turned thirty-five, which he understands as
halfway between brith and the accepted age of death at around seventy. He feels he has lost his
way, or "wandered off from the straight path."
His main sin is
feeling dulled down and separated from God. He is also lackadaisical about discerning and doing
God's will. He hopes to be reinvigorated and to rediscover some direction in his life.
Therefore, Dante allows Virgil to act as his guide through a tour of the underworld.
Dante at this point believes in both God's will and his own free will. He learns, however,
during his journey through hell that the sin of putting one's own will ahead of God's will leads
to eternal suffering. He also recognizes that one can still become aware of one's sins, confess
them, repent for them, and, in that way, earn God's forgiveness.
The vivid
depictions of what happens to people who have lost their way and decide to live life outside of
God's will...
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