FRANCESCO PETRARCH

Petrarch was a poet and scholar whose humanist philosophy set the stage for the
Renaissance. He is also considered one of the fathers of the modern Italian language.

Petrarch was born Francesco Petrarca on July 20, 1304, in Arezzo, Tuscany. He
was a devoted classical scholar who is considered the "Father of Humanism," a
philosophy that helped spark the Renaissance. Petrarch's writing includes well-known
odes to Laura, his idealized love. His writing was also used to shape the modern Italian
language. He died at age 69 on July 18 or 19, 1374, in Arquà, Carrara.

Petrarch's most well-known vernacular compositions were lyrical poems about Laura,
a woman he had fallen in unrequited love with after seeing her in an Avignon church
on April 6, 1327. Petrarch wrote about Laura—whose true identity has never been
verified—for most of his life, even after she died during the Black Death of 1348. When
he collected 366 of his vernacular poems in his Rerum vulgarium fragmenta—also
known as Rime Sparse ("Scattered Rhymes") and as Petrarch's canzoniere
("Petrarch's songbook")—his love for Laura was one of the main themes. The
collection also contains 317 sonnets. Petrarch was an early practitioner of the form and
helped to popularize it.

As one of the world's first classical scholars, Petrarch unearthed vast stores of
knowledge in the lost texts he discovered, while his philosophy of humanism helped
foment the intellectual growth and accomplishments of the Renaissance. Petrarch's
legacy also includes his poems, sonnets and other writing. His vernacular writing was
immortalized when it was used—alongside the works of Dante Alighieri and Giovanni
Boccaccio—as the foundation for the modern Italian language.

CANZONIERE

Petrarch’s Canzoniere features 366 poems dedicated to his beloved Laura. Although
Petrarch gives no clue about her real identity, many scholars agree that Laura was a
married woman whom he supposedly first saw on April 6, 1327. Even though she
apparently gave his affection no encouragement, at least so far as he describes in his
poetry, Petrarch loved Laura all his life—even after her death in 1348.

The Canzoniere is divided into two parts—those poems to Laura “in life” and those to
her “in death.” Her importance in the sequence of poems lies in her effect on the poet,
whose desire for her is never fulfilled. This “Petrarchan” scenario, in which the lovers’
relationship is never fully realized, would become a standard model for generations to
come.
SPRING

In the Translated version of Spring by Morris Bishop, it was easily stated and the parts
are more structured, giving points to Petrarchan Poems. It is usually composed of an
Octave and a Sestet.

The poem basically tackles the likeliness of Spring being a new beginning. Laura,
someone the poet loves, had just passed away. You can read Laura and White Doe to
understand this more since it's a trilogy. The poet had experienced fake pity and one
sided love, towards Laura. In this Poem he is starting to accept the fact that she is
gone. But as stated in the ending his heart still dwells with Laura on her heavenly
sojourn.

Petrarch used terms that would metaphorically explains how he feels like burning sand,
he also used Mythical characters and their story such that it would emphasize a specific
point. Procne and Philomela are sisters, Philomela was raped by her sister's husband
and cut her tongue so she wouldn't be able to talk. This represents the sweet despair
the two had to encounter same as the Poets feelings for his one sided love story.

Spring represents A New Beginning, though it also has bad representations. Spring
can turn wine sour and vines only has few buds. This is when a person refuse to accept
change. The poet cannot forget Laura since he love her so, slowly accepting her death
but will still hold a special place in his heart.

THE WHITE DOE

The White Doe was translated by Anna Maria Armi. It is just 1 out of 366 sonnets in
Petrarch’s Canzoniere. Petrarch’s Canzoniere is an innovative collection of poems
predominantly celebrating his idealized love for Laura, perhaps a literary invention
rather than a real person, whom Petrarch allegedly first saw, in 1327, in the Church of
Sainte Claire in Avignon. Mostly using the sonnet form the poems were written in the
Italian vernacular rather than Latin, and Petrarch, like Dante, exploited and extended
the language to convey a wider range of feeling and expression.

This poem is an allegory. While it appears to talk about a white deer that appears in the
glade, it is actually about a woman. The poet is comparing the hunt for this woman like
the hunt to an elusive deer.

It is about a female deer and may represent innocence because that's what the color
white often represents. The White Doe could also represent the love of his life, Laura. It
can be how he sees Laura, majestic and beautiful yet untouchable. The attitude of this
poem is peaceful because the nature scene of this poem is comforting and serene.
GIOVANNI BOCCACCIO

A significant figure in the history of Italian literature, Giovanni Boccaccio was among the
founders of the Renaissance. Born on year 1313 in Italy. The exact date and place of
his birth is uncertain. His father was a prominent merchant and his mother also
belonged to an illustrious family. Giovanni attended school in Florence and was taken
into business at the age of 10.

He was sent to Naples to study business and law in 1327. He eventually gave up on
studying and entirely dedicated himself to literature. Boccaccio’s lifelong friendship with
Petrarch began in 1350. Both writers often worked closely with each other.

Boccaccio completed the great Decameron in 1358 which narrates hundred stories of
seven women and three men who reside in a country villa for ten days after escaping
from the plague in Florence.

Some of his notable works include: La caccia di Diana (1334-1337), Teseida (1339-
1340), Filocolo (1336-1339, Elegia di Madonna Fiammetta (1343-1344) and
Decameron (1349-135) .

DECAMERON

Decameron, collection of tales by Giovanni Boccaccio, probably composed between

While romantic in tone and form, it breaks from medieval sensibility in its insistence
on the human ability to overcome, even exploit, fortune.

The Decameron comprises a group of stories united by a frame story. As the frame
narrative opens, 10 young people (seven women and three men) flee plague-stricken
Florence to a delightful villa in nearby Fiesole.

Each rules for a day and sets stipulations for the daily tales to be told by all participants,
resulting in a collection of 100 pieces. Each day ends with a canzone (song), and
some of these represent Boccaccio’s finest poetry.

It is generally acknowledged that Boccaccio borrowed many of the stories from folklore
and myth, but the exquisite writing and sophisticated structure of the work make clear
that its author was no mere anthologist.

Federigo’s Falcon is Boccaccio’s clever use of ironic twist often paired with The
Necklace or The Gift of the Magi. It was originally published in The Decameron in 1353.
FEDERIGO’S FALCON

Summary:

Federigo, an exceptionally rich, falls in love with Monna Giovanna, a woman of nobility
and beauty. Federigo buys Monna a lot of gifts and holds sumptuous banquets. His love
for Monna Giovanna goes to the ends of the world that he is willing to offer her
everything just to win her heart. Federigo became very poor for having spent huge
amount of money. Monna married a much richer man and had a son, leaving Federigo’s
heart in despair.

As a result of Federigo’s poverty, he moved from Florence to Campi. All he had was a
few penny to sustain his daily needs, a farm, and a falcon. After Monna’s husband dies,
she and her child go for a seasonal vacation to a country estate near Federigo’s farm.
Her son became friends with Federigo. One day her son fell very ill. The child tells his
Monna saying, “I will feel better if you can arrange to have Federigo’s falcon be mine”.
Monna couldn’t utter a word of refusal. She gathered strength to go to Federigo’s
abode. As she reached his humble home, Federigo hastened to welcome her with a
tasty meal. He had no food in stock. As he finds a way to offer a meal to Monna, he
realized he can have his falcon roasted. Without having second thoughts, he had the
falcon roasted.

Monna was pleased with the tasty meal. Later, she expressed the reason for her visit.
Monna asked Federigo if she could have his falcon for her son as he feels that he would
get better if he could have Federigo’s falcon become his. Federigo was stunned and
told he had the falcon roasted and Monna had just ate on it. Monna didn’t believed at
first until Federigo showed her the feathers and beak. Monna left and after a few days
his son died.

Federigo’s brother told him to marry Monna but Federigo says Monna wouldn’t love a
poor man that he is. She never loved Federigo when he was rich much less now that he
is poor. After he was convinced by his brother, Federigo asked Monna’s hand for
marriage. Monna realizes that it is better to have a gentleman without riches than to
have riches without a gentleman. Soon, Federigo and Monna end up in marriage. After
he was convinced by his brother, Federigo asked Monna’s hand for marriage. Monna
realizes that it is better to have a gentleman without riches than to have riches without a
gentleman. Soon, Federigo and Monna end up in marriage.

Moral Lessons:

 One can sacrifice all he has for the one he have.