Sonnet 18

The collection in which Petrarch’s “Sonnet 18” appears (Canzoniere) is, according to the Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics, “primarily concerned with Petrarch’s love for Laura and the varied moods it engenders, from ecstatic joy to deep sorrow, as well as his inner thoughts, desires, and aspirations” (191). It is primarily, but not wholly, made up of sonnets (14-line poems) such as “Sonnet 18.” What is now known as the Italian sonnet form was created in the court of Frederick II between 1205 and 1250. The octave rhyme scheme (the rhyme scheme of the first eight lines of the poem) was invented by d’Arezzo (1230-94) and popularized by Dante and Petrarch.

Dante’s Vita Nuova, which is an autobiography that illustrates Dante’s Platonic ideal of love for Beatrice, influenced Petrarch and “Sonnet 18.” The deceased beloved, Beatrice, becomes an angelic figure of virtue. These love lyrics help define the dolce stil nuovo, a term coined by Dante that means “sweet new style.” Petrarch’s beloved (Laura) also dies, but Petrarch struggles to subdue his passion. The dolce stil nuovo was part of the courtly love tradition that began in Europe with the troubadours, with ideas descended from Ovid’s love poems.