Have any of you read Dante's Inferno and explain the meaning of this quote for me?

To understand the situation, which has been going on for years, please read my thread "did I meet this guy for a reason?". Otherwise, some of this will make zero sense.

Hi. So, it's been a while since I even thought about this dude. I switched schools and moved out of my parents house. But the other day the guy reblogged something from me on tumblr, and I remembered that I had given him this book. The book was given to me for Christmas in 2013 by M (the friend). I was passing the book out to different people because I wanted them to write quotes in it. And I'm not that close with D any more, but he likes quotes. He writes quotes up on boards a lot. He said he would give it back in a week. He kept it for like half a year. He lives across the street from me, it would be easy for him to give it back. So i texted him and asked if he could give me the book back, and he wrote a long long apology explaining why he never gave it back. And then said he could give it back to me whenever works for me. And I said ok. So the next day I was in town, which wasn't really planned, so I texted him and told him. I asked him if he wrote anything in the book and he never said if he did or not, he just said he'll drop off the book and he can't come hang out because he has # to do. So without saying more than like 2 words he handed me back the book at my door. Ten minutes later I started to read through the stuff that other people had written in it. And then I got to the newest page, which had something I had never seen on it before. It was the quote he sent me all that time ago. Except it was the full quote. This was the quote:

"O my dear Guide, who more than seven times
Hast rendered me security, and drawn me
From imminent peril that before me stood,
(Underlined)Do not desert me,"(underlined) said I,"thus undone;
And if the going farther be denied us,
Let us retrace our steps together swiftly."
And that Lord, who had led me thitherward,
Said unto me:
(Underlined) " Fear not; (underlined)
because our passage
None can take from us, it by Such is given.
But here await me, and thy weary spirit
(Underlined) Comfort and nourish with a better hope;
For in this nether world I will not leave thee." (Underlined)

The thing about it is that he underlined certain parts of it. Obviously. I'm on mobile so I don't know how to work out the HTML on here. I didn't understand the quote. And this was the only quote he wrote.
I texted him hours later saying, "what does the quote mean?"
And he said to me "Figure it out." And I didn't respond.
Has anyone read Dante's inferno and could tell me something about this quote?

Sorry for the error in the title, like I said, I'm on mobile. I'm not illiterate I promise.

a reply to: TheBlueShiroux

The portion of the text is revolving around Dante and his guide through Hell and Dante's worry, now that their journey is coming to its finality, that he will be abandoned in Hell's lowest depths. His guide reassures him that this will not happen.

Basically, he's desperate & pathetic. The fact he chose this quote alone shows what an overbearing introvert he is. I'm guessing he doesn't currently have a female to put his problems on & relieve his physical stress with, & this quote is like the cliche "pact" of if you're both 60 (end of the long journey) you'll get back together.

The quote stresses nostalgia, & a sort of hope, that there's something to fall back on should things not work out.

Please OP, do not settle. & never go back into an already ended relationship.


Edit:

In fact, he underlined all the lines which would trigger guilt in you, about good times you had together that you're now missing out on, but could go back to if you wanted to. He's trying to put the ball in your court & let you know he's there waiting for when you realize what you're missing out on.

a reply to: TheBlueShiroux

So, reading only the underlined segments would get you:

Do not desert me. Fear not. Comfort and nourish with a better hope; for in this netherworld I will never leave thee.

a reply to: Eunuchorn

He's .. 19 now. Wow. That's strange to think about. He was 17 when we were closest.
I'm 16.
Is he trying to # with my mind?

a reply to: TheBlueShiroux

He's nineteen, and you are only sixteen.

He shouldn't be trying to # with ANY of you, let lone your head!

a reply to: TheBlueShiroux

No, he's not deliberately screwing with your head, it's very passive aggressive. it's been conditioned into our generation to play games in terms of relationships. He likely doesn't truly understand his own reasoning for picking the quote. I see only insidiousness in his choice though. Even if it was unconsciously done.

Ps. Read my edit on first post

a reply to: TrueBrit

He just turned 19 a few days ago

How I think about what you have written.

"O my dear Guide, who more than seven times
Hast rendered me security, and drawn me
From imminent peril that before me stood,

Can be intervention thru synchronicity but the 7 times also makes me think of the seven chakras in eastern philosophy that is the 7 energy centers in the body that pushes chi/kundalini/light/spirit energy giving physical symptoms of heat/cold/vibration depending on need.

(Underlined)Do not desert me,"(underlined) said I,"thus undone;
And if the going farther be denied us,
Let us retrace our steps together swiftly."

Not to be deserted by the spirit and retrace our steps if connection is lost with source.

And that Lord, who had led me thitherward,
Said unto me:
(Underlined) " Fear not; (underlined)
because our passage
None can take from us, it by Such is given.
But here await me, and thy weary spirit

Once true connection is made none will break the connection since symbiosis/oneness have been achieved. Also can be seen as a reference to Amygdala fear overload that both Jesus and Buddha seem to have gone thru where the body experience insane amount of fear but the consciousness rise above the fear forever changing the consciousness to never really be able to fear anything.

(Underlined) Comfort and nourish with a better hope;
For in this nether world I will not leave thee." (Underlined)

This can be a reference to this place (samsara/3rd/human experiance). That this soul will not be left behind in the in between. Makes me think of this song. Sometimes there are promises made to us from the higher levels.


Namaste. (I bow to the divine in you)

a reply to: TheBlueShiroux

Whether he's just turned 19, 35, or 16, it's really irrelevant.

All I really have to offer is dog-piling on what the others have said. It's a very passive aggressive attempt at getting you to "come back" to him. He's asking you not to "leave" him because he'll never "leave" you.

So really, from where I sit, it's a pretty blatant and sad attempt to make you feel beholden to him, and he's adding the dramatic effect of "you figure it out, I'll wait for you to get it" on top of everything else.

Incredibly childish and immature of him.

Eta: in regard to your question to eunichorn-around here we'd say he's trying to keep you in his hip pocket. Meaning he's trying to keep himself in your head in the hope that at some point you'll have your "Hmm what about so and so" moment. Trying to keep himself on your radar, essentially.

a reply to: Eunuchorn

Is he trying to say he has feelings for me?....
I don't get it. I've always felt like I knew him in a past life or some # from the literal moment I met him,
but I accepted it as me being delusional or just having a weird crush on him..
And then when I finally move on, he does this. And if he didn't underline those parts, I would still feel weird about it. But he underlined it. I'm sorry but .. I just don't understand. And I can't ask him. Because he is assuming that I can figure it out on my own. And i think I'm just being stupid. And I want to believe that it means anything. But I'm completely over him. And I thought this would bring me closure, but it's the opposite. I want to send him something. I want to let him know what I'm assuming, which is ridiculous. I want to say like.. "If our paths cross when we're older, I'll let you know if I figured it out." But he never said to let him know, he just said figure it out.

originally posted by: TheBlueShiroux
a reply to: TrueBrit

He just turned 19 a few days ago

Ah, so it's only been illegal for a year & a few days then.

originally posted by: Shamrock6
a reply to: TheBlueShiroux

Whether he's just turned 19, 35, or 16, it's really irrelevant.

All I really have to offer is dog-piling on what the others have said. It's a very passive aggressive attempt at getting you to "come back" to him. He's asking you not to "leave" him because he'll never "leave" you.

So really, from where I sit, it's a pretty blatant and sad attempt to make you feel beholden to him, and he's adding the dramatic effect of "you figure it out, I'll wait for you to get it" on top of everything else.

Incredibly childish and immature of him.

Eta: in regard to your question to eunichorn-around here we'd say he's trying to keep you in his hip pocket. Meaning he's trying to keep himself in your head in the hope that at some point you'll have your "Hmm what about so and so" moment. Trying to keep himself on your radar, essentially.

Bro, it is so nice to see im not the only analytical genius in the room.

OP Reread everything we've written very closely. Discuss specifically the above quote & what I said with friends, see what their thoughts are.
Older friends or role model types of you have any.

He is old enough to understand the kind of feelings you have, but is far too immature to realize he's treating you sh.tty & like an object. This is his way of keeping you guessing him & yourself (& it's working based on your last post, don't let it!)

Right now you're just another option he's trying to keep available for when *he* needs *you* but is making it seem like it's all your decision.

Learn at 16 to ask someone to say what they mean, and not spend hours creating threads online asking strangers to decipher what someone may or may not be saying.

If not you will spend a lifetime playing silly games that get you nowhere.

a reply to: TheBlueShiroux

In this case I would say let go totally and cut the cord. If he is the "building a mystery" type person then he will not know anything real anyway or be a good partner that helps each other out. If he is not a "building a mystery" type person then the things that is underlined have nothing to do with having a relationship with you but have to do with nature of what is.

originally posted by: zazzafrazz
Learn at 16 to ask someone to say what they mean, and not spend hours creating threads online asking strangers to decipher what someone may or may not be saying.

If not you will spend a lifetime playing silly games that get you nowhere.

Let's put a positive spin on this rather condescending post.

I'm sure many of us barely remember the intricacies of high school, & that's a big part of this whole thing. She's being exposed to the types of games which is normal for 18-25 year olds, but not high school.

The ATS is slightly more than a group of strangers. & where else could she go for advice? Anything in her vicinity is going to be subject to the same atmosphere & conditioning that she is; we are able to give wider views from different walks of life & levels of experience.

Instead of scolding her for (actually trying to not play games with the dude, despite his attempts to play games with her) let's try to help her learn how to recognize which men are scum & which aren't.

I can't believe you were 11 when you joined ATS...

But anyway, the guy sounds like a bit of a possessive imo...
And it seems in the opinion of many others here too.


& the "figure it out" part is suspect...

I'm no Psychologist...

But it sounds like he is trying to lead/brainwash you to a specific decision...
That of being his partner controlled possession once you "figure it out"...

TheBlueShiroux thank you for the reference to Dante's Inferno. I normally see Dante's Inferno as an over exaggeration on all levels but this part was interesting for me.

Namaste

originally posted by: LittleByLittle
a reply to: TheBlueShiroux

In this case I would say let go totally and cut the cord. If he is the "building a mystery" type person then he will not know anything real anyway or be a good partner that helps each other out. If he is not a "building a mystery" type person then the things that is underlined have nothing to do with having a relationship with you but have to do with nature of what is.

I support this; he thinks he's being very deep & mysterious, which shows a lack of self understanding. What women need most in a man is self awareness & understanding. Men should be openly complimentary to you & your needs; not trying to hide behind someone else's poetry.

Also, dantes inferno is about descending through the 7 circles of hell. It may be a lovely sounding poem, but he's associating the amount of time you did spend together with the realm of everlasting torment.