Petrarch

=Petrarch=
 * (1304-1374)**

//**"The Father of Humanism"**//

 * "****//To begin with myself, then, the utterances of men concerning me will differ widely, since in passing judgment almost every one is influenced//** **//not so much by truth as by preference, and good and evil report alike know no bounds.//****" ~ Petrarch**


 * "For a woman he would never know**
 * For a woman he could never have**
 * He should change the world forever****"**

== =Petrarch's Life= A Rough Start** As if being born into exile wasn't tough enough, Petrarch was also born during the worst times of the Plague. In the coming years he lost almost everyone he knew, including his parents, friends and a woman named Laura, who would change his life forever. From this muse would come inspirations that resulted in some of the greatest works of Petrarch - and also the beginning of a philosophical revolution.

As his father forced him to study law, Petrarch's head was in the clouds, thinking of literature and writing. Upon his father's death, Petrarch stopped studying law and turned writing. He was born during a time when very few people could read or write, and those who could saw it as a burden. On the contrary to most, Petrarch so dearly loved to write down his thoughts and feelings, and the only person he found he could relate to was the Roman poet/politician Cicero, of whom Petrarch "wrote letters to".
 * Petrarch: The Lonely Poet**

Petrarch later began serving the church and continued his writing. It was by his service to the church that allowed him meet the love of his life, or so the story goes. Petrarch saw Laura for the first time on April 6th, 1327 (Good Friday) at Easter mass in the church of Sainte-Claire d'Avignon. It was love at first site for Petrarch, despite the fact that Laura had been married since the age of 15. No one knows if they ever spoke to each other or if Laura even knew of Petrarch's feelings for her. Nevertheless, Laura inspired Petrarch to perfect the (Petrarchan) sonnet and write the //Canzoniere//, which consisted of 366 poems.
 * Laura**

[[image:laure_12.jpg width="100" height="125" align="left"]]
Experts have come to question the existence of Laura. Was she a real person, a metaphor for something or merely a figment of Petrarch's imagination? Some say "Laura" represents the laurel leaves that crown Petrarch's head. Despite the skepticism surrounding Laura, a woman named Laure de Noves really did exist during Petrarch's time. Years after her death, a humanist named Maurice Sceve visited her tomb and discovered a lead box containing a medal, which portrayed a woman ripping her heart out. What is even more suspicious, a sonnet by Petrarch was found under this mysterious medal. Could Laure de Noves have been Petrarch's Laura? To this day, this love affair is shrouded in mystery.**

Petrarch: The Celebrity** In later years, Petrarch wrote //Africa,// the story of Roman general Scipio Africanus, and in 1341, Petrarch was the first man since the age of Antiquity to be crowned in laurel leaves as Poet Laureate in Rome. This high honor was due to the strong response from the people who had read his writings and he became increasingly popular, becoming a sort of celebrity.

**A Contributor to Society**
Petrarch is credited with inspring the humanist philosophy, which greatly influenced the Renaissance era. He believed one could be a devoted Christian and also have a sense of self-worth. Petrarch valued the study of history and literature and because he wrote down his internal conflicts about things, his feelings were out in the open for people to read about, relate to, argue about and above all else, discuss. Petrarch wrote what he felt, and what he felt was also what many others were feeling. He opened the door to expressing people's individual selves and helped others realize that each and every person has value and potential.

**Petrarch's Works**

 * the //Canzoniere// (366 sonnets inspired by "Laura")
 * the //Trionfi// ("Triumph")
 * //De Viris Illustribus// ("On Famous Men"; series of moral biographies)
 * //Rerum Memorandarum Libri// (an incompleted systematic analysis on the [|cardinal virtues])

...and many more. Check them out [|**here**]. __

__ =__Works Cited/Bibliography:__=

Barrack, Martin K. "Cardinal Virtues." Second Exodus__. (c) 1999-2006. 28 August. 2006.

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Iconograf. "Francis Petrarch (1304-1374) --Literary Works". __Welcome to the Hub!__. 25 April. 2002. Sympatico. 28 August. 2006.

 __

Knight, K. "Francesco Petrarch."__ New Advent__. 2006. Robert Appleton Company. 28 August. 2006. . __

"Petrarch." 23 August. 2006. Wikipedia. 28 August. 2006. .

Kuusankosken kaupunginkirjasto, Finland. "Petrarch (1304-1374) - in full Francesco Petrarca." __Pegasos__. 2002. 28 August. 2006. . __

Sadlon, Peter. Francesco Petrarch & Laura de Noves. 28 January. 2006. 28 August. 2006. . __


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