Well, Rich this passage from Dante has to be one of the most commented on in Western Literature. Your translation uses the word reawaken, but the ‘mi ritrovai’ of the original text can be, and is read as, “I find myself, yet again…” to imply that Dante is struggling with a problem that is habitual. His involvement in politics meant that he had given up on what he should have been doing, that is writing. He is also referring to the Aristotlian arch of mid life, that is the age of 35, or expressed biblically, half of three score and ten, i.e. ‘halfway through life….’ Dante is implying here that he has been given a chance to start again. The right road is lost because it is dark !! There is also a biblical reference in this text from Isaiah and King Hezekiah, that you might care to look into.
Can you apply all this to your life Rich? I think most of us can in one way or another.
