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There is no greater sorrow than to be mindful of the happy time in misery.
FrancescaInferno · Canto V.121
Circle 2: Lust
Canto 5 of 34 — 15% descent
In the Second Circle, the lustful are blown about by an eternal wind. Dante calls to two souls joined together — Paolo and Francesca. Francesca tells how they fell in love reading the story of Lancelot. "That day we read no farther." Dante faints from pity.
Why This Matters
Francesca’s heartbreaking line about remembering happiness in Hell. Echoed by Tennyson, Boethius, and Dante himself.
lovememorysuffering
Paolo and Francesca
Gustave Doré, 1857 · Public Domain