Chiare Fresche et Dolci Acque Themes

He sees her across a crowded piazza on a Sunday outside of church. She doesn't even know he exists. She will never care. This will not stop him from dedicating his entire life to her. Sound familia...

If you've ever watched The Princess Bride, you'll understand the usefulness of the term "ultimate suffering" to describe the tormented Petrarch's problem with Laura. While the pain might have been...

While most poetry that begins with a direct address (like this one) does a good job at tricking us into believing we are in the moment, Canzone126 doesn't even try. It's clear from the very beginni...

Don't let this theme title fool you. Petrarch was never part of a women's studies program nor was he a proto-feminist—like, ever. But we can still talk about female beauty and ideas of femininity...