Canzoniere
Quick Summary
The Canzoniere is a collection of vernacular poems by the Italian Renaissance poet Petrarch. The poems primarily focus on Petrarch's lifelong, unrequited love for a woman named Laura. The collection is divided into poems written during Laura's life and those written after her death.123
The Canzoniere is considered a foundational work of the Renaissance and had a profound influence on European literature, particularly in the development of the sonnet form. Petrarch's exploration of intense psychological reactions and spiritual conflicts within his poetry set a new standard for lyric poetry.23
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humanismPetrarchHis Canzoniere, written from 1330 until his death in 1374, provided the model on which the Renaissance lyric was to take shape and the standard by which future works would be judged. His work established secular poetry as a serious and noble pursuit. His eloquent and…
Read MoreHis Canzoniere, written from 1330 until his death in 1374, provided the model on which the Renaissance lyric was to take shape and the standard by which future works would be judged. His work established secular poetry as a serious and noble pursuit. His eloquent and…
Read More
Italian literaturePetrarch (1304–74)The Canzoniere—a collection of sonnets, songs, sestine, ballads, and madrigals on which he worked indefatigably from 1330 until his death—gave these ideals poetic expression. Although this collection of vernacular poems was intended to tell the story of Petrarch’s love for Laura, it is in fact an…
Read MoreThe Canzoniere—a collection of sonnets, songs, sestine, ballads, and madrigals on which he worked indefatigably from 1330 until his death—gave these ideals poetic expression. Although this collection of vernacular poems was intended to tell the story of Petrarch’s love for Laura, it is in fact an…
Read More