Petrarch

1. Francesco Petrarca is also known as "Father of Humanism." He lived from July 20, 1304 to July 19, 1374, or Early Renaissance time period. He lived and worked in Italy near Florence.

2. This is lyrical poetry, when it was originally written in Italian it followed the abba abba cde cde form, later called Petrarchan or Italian. In his works he introduces many humanistic ideas and his sonnet form became widely imitated and respected in later years. He was also credited with being one of the first people to create the idea of "The Dark Ages." Many scholars suggest that Laura did not even know Petrarch existed until after he became famous. He is writing about the universal theme of love, specifically unrequited love. He was in love with a woman named Laura who was married to a Count, therefore the love he had for her was not returned and therefore became the subject of this work.