Which famous English poets were influenced by Petrarch’s love sonnets?

Petrarch’s influence on English literature was profound, particularly through his Canzoniere, which established the sonnet as a major poetic form. His work inspired a literary phenomenon known as Petrarchism, which shaped the development of English lyric poetry for centuries.12

The sonnet was introduced to England in the 16th century by Sir Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard, earl of Surrey, both of whom translated Petrarch’s sonnets and adapted his Italian forms into English. This paved the way for the Elizabethan era, where poets frequently wrote love sonnet sequences in the manner of Petrarch. Notable English poets influenced by this tradition include:23

• Sir Philip Sidney: His sequence Astrophel and Stella emulated Petrarch’s subject, style, and habit of self-scrutiny.4
• Edmund Spenser: Known for his sequence Amoretti, which utilized a linked rhyme scheme reminiscent of the Italian form.2
• William Shakespeare: While his sequences moved beyond traditional love themes, he utilized the sonnet form that evolved from these early adaptations.2
• Samuel Daniel and Michael Drayton: Both produced notable Elizabethan sonnet sequences.2

In later centuries, poets such as William Wordsworth, John Keats, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning continued to write in the Petrarchan style.2