Durling, Robert M., Petrarch's Lyric Poems: The Rime Sparse and Other Lyrics (Cambrdige, MA: Harvard University Press)
Text name(s): Rime Sparse, Il Canzoniere, Rerum Vulgarium Fragmenta
Number of pages of primary source text: 565
Author(s):
Dates: 1327 - 1368
Archival Reference:
Original Language(s):
- Italian
Translation:
- Translated into English.
- Original language included.
Translation Comments: Robert Durling provides a literal translation in clear English prose. The Italian and English are displayed side by side in a facing page style.
Geopolitical Region(s):
- Italy
- Europe
County/Region:
Record Types:
- Literature - Verse
Subject Headings:
- Literature - Other
- Classics / Humanism
- Women / Gender
Apparatus:
Comments:
Francesco Petrarca (1304 – 1374), also known as Petrarch, was an Italian scholar and poet. Variously regarded as belonging to the Late Middle Ages, the Early Renaissance, or indeed, as he himself says, as initiating the Renaissance, he was unquestionably one of the finest poets in the history of Italy, Medieval of otherwise. His sonnet style was adopted and modified by countless generations of poets including, famously, William Shakespeare.
This volume contains Petrarch’s Rime Sparse, a collection of 366 poems (mostly sonnets) written in Italian on the subject of Petrarch’s love for a mysterious woman named Laura, along with several other poems of Petrarch’s. The Rime Sparse, in addition to praising Laura, contains poetic meditations on such themes as love, religion, time, glory, politics, and poetry itself.
This volume of Petrarch’s poems is widely considered the standard edition for classroom use and the facing-page translation is useful for readers with any level of Italian understanding.
Introduction Summary:
In the 34 page introduction, Durling begins by providing a brief biography of Petrarch. He then introduces Laura, the ostensible inspiration for the Rime Sparse. He then enters into a very good description of the Rime Sparse and Petrarch’s style in general, elucidating the reason for Petrarch’s enduring reputation and noting the ways in which he borrows from classical models and ways in which he innovated in his poetry. He goes on to provide an analysis of his metrical style and several of the themes he engages with most fully and consistently. Finally, he addresses some of the scholarship surrounding Petrarch and his poetry, giving his own opinions and providing a robust and well-rounded introduction that prepares the reader to engage with Petrarch’s work.
Cataloger: AP
