Dante's poem is heavily allegorical, which means that there are countless individual, minor symbols throughout the text that stand for larger ideas. However, one major symbol that recurs throughout the poem is the idea of the journey. The first line of the poem compares Dante's life to a road or path which Dante is halfway through. Thus, when Dante strays from the right path in the beginning of Canto 1, he has symbolically strayed from the right kind of life. His journey with Virgil through hell is both a physical journey toward heaven and a more allegorical journey of spiritual progress toward God and away from sin. Throughout hell, Dante often lingers to talk to souls or is delayed because of his pity and fear. When Virgil repeatedly encourages him to stay on the course of their journey, he is also, in a sense, telling Dante not to stray from virtuousness. Similarly, the various impediments that threaten to halt Dante's journey are not just physical barriers, but can be seen as agents of hell that threaten to keep Dante from a pious life. Dante's purposeful journey toward the destination of heaven can be contrasted with the aimless wandering and back-and-forth movement of many damned souls in hell. They have completely lost the path of righteousness and literally have no direction in the afterlife. Dante, by contrast, has the ultimate goal of heaven, which gives a purpose and direction to his wandering.
The Journey Quotes in Inferno
The Inferno quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Journey. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Canto 1
Quotes
Midway this way of life we're bound upon,
I woke to find myself in a dark wood,
Where the right road was wholly lost and gone.
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Canto 9
Quotes
So we stirred
Our footsteps citywards, with hearts reposed,
Safely protected by the heavenly word.
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The Journey Symbol Timeline in Inferno
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Journey appears in Inferno. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Canto 1
...life, Dante wakes up in a dark forest, having lost his way from the right road. He does not know how he strayed from the road or how he arrived in...
(full context)
...the mountain by wild beasts, and Virgil informs him that he must take a different path. He says that the wolf prevents anyone from passing, and will continue to do so...
(full context)
Virgil says he will guide Dante on his journey. He says Dante will go through a terrible place with souls in torment, after which...
(full context)
Canto 2
It is now evening, as Dante begins his journey. As narrator, Dante invokes the muses and the personification of memory to help him recall...
(full context)
...blossoms in light. Dante says that he is now eager and resolved to begin his journey. He starts on the path, following behind his trusty guide Virgil.
(full context)
Canto 3
...refusing to ferry across a living man. He tells Dante that this is not his path. But Virgil tells Charon that it is God's will for Dante to pass through hell...
(full context)
...wrath, and that it is thus good that Charon told Dante this is not his path, as good souls do not come this way. Suddenly, there is a great earthquake, and...
(full context)
Canto 7
...Roman mythology), who is hailing Satan. Virgil assures Dante that Pluto will not halt their journey, and he shouts at Pluto, telling him that it is willed by God for Virgil...
(full context)
...Fortune does not hear their curses. Virgil tells Dante that they should continue on their journey.
(full context)
Canto 8
...tells him not to worry and assures him that nothing can stop their divinely willed journey, and that he will not leave Dante alone.
(full context)
Canto 9
...are "heresiarchs", leaders of heretical sects and their followers. The two poets continue on their journey, walking past the blazing tombs.
(full context)
