Book description
The 'Canzoniere', a sequence of sonnets and other verse forms, were
written over a period of about 40 years. They describe Petrarch's
intense love for Laura, whom he first met in Avignon in 1327, and her
effect on him after she died in 1348. The collection is an examination
of the poet's growing spiritual crisis, and also explores important
contemporary issues such as the role of the papacy and religion.
Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374), scholar and man of letters, is
considered the father of sonnet-writing. Although the majority of his
work was composed in Latin, it is his collection of poems in the
vernacular entitled 'Canzoniere' for which he is most remembered.
Anthony Mortimer holds the Chair of English Literature at the
University of Fribourg, Switzerland, and has been a Visiting Fellow at
Merton College, Oxford. Publications include 'Petrarch's Canzoniere in
the English Renaissance'
