"Sonnet 126" by Petrarch

Poem Review # 104658

English > Analysis
Literature > Poetry

An investigation into premise and images of "Sonnet 126" by Francesco Petrarch.

1,404 words () | 6 sources | MLA | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at one of Francesco Petrarch's most challenging poems, his "Sonnet 126" or "Canonziere". The paper discusses the form and structure of Petrarch's poem and suggest that the work is, at least in part, inaptly named: It is not really a "sonnet" at all as such an item is characteristically defined. The paper also describes the premise of the song and discusses the major images and metaphors in the poem.

From the Paper:

"Drawing from our class notes, we know that Petrarch, if sonnet 89 is any indication, would much rather be a prisoner of love than a man free of the entanglements of love. Seen in that light, he is a man who happily confines himself to a prison of his own making for a woman who either does not wish to love him or cannot love him. When observing how Petrarch idealizes Laura, and when one considers how he relentlessly employs the first person, it is hard not to arrive at the conclusion that the writer is really writing about himself as a love-struck bard. Ultimately, Petrarch has made a virtue out of being a love-struck suitor condemned to fall short of receiving the love of his "Laura" in his lifetime."

Sample of Sources Used:

Estrin, Barbara L. Uncovering Gender and Genre in Wyatt, Donne, and Marvell. Duke, NC: Duke University Press, 1994.
"Literary Dictionary: Canzone." Answers.com. 2007. Answers Corporation. 18 Jun. 2007 <http://www.answers.com/topic/canzone?cat=entertainment>
Miller, Nelson. "Basic Sonnet Forms." N.d. Writers Exchange Board. 18 Jun. 2007 <http://www.sonnets.org/basicforms.htm>
Petrarch, Francesco. "the Canzoniere, (Sonnet 126)." (additional bibliographic info not provided by client).
"Petrarch: Selection of Poetry." Italian Studies at the University of Stony Brook. N.d. Marco Franco. 18 Jun. 2007 <http://www.italianstudies.org/hui235/petrarch2.htm>