Petrarch
Born at Arezzo, l304. Died 1374.
Petrarch was the final blossom and perfection of the Troubadours. See
Biog. Lit
. vol. ii. p.27, &c.
Notes on Petrarch's [1] Sonnets, Canzones &c.
Vol. 1
| GOOD: | |
| Sonnet 1 | Voi, ch' ascoltate, &c. |
| Sonnet 7 | La gola, e 'l sonno, &c. |
| Sonnet 11 | Se la mia vita, &c. |
| Sonnet 12 | Quando fra l'altre, &c. |
| Sonnet 18 | Vergognando talor, &c. |
| Sonnet 25 | Quanto più m' avvicino, &c. |
| Sonnet 28 | Solo e pensoso, &c. |
| Sonnet 29 | S' io credessi, &c.. |
| Canz. 14 | Sì è debile il filo, &c. |
| PLEASING: | |
| Ballade 1 | Lassare il velo, &c. |
| Canzone 1 | Nel dolce tempo, &c. |
This poem was imitated by our old Herbert
; it is ridiculous in the thoughts, but simple and sweet in diction.
| DIGNIFIED: | |
| Canzone 2 | O aspettata in ciel, &c. |
| Canzone 9 | Gentil mia Donna, &c. |
The first half of this ninth canzone is exquisite; and in Canzone 8, the nine lines beginning:
O poggi, o valli, &c.
to
cura
, are expressed with vigour and chastity.
| DIGNIFIED, cont.: | |
| Canzone 9 | Daquel dì innanzi a me medesmo piacqui Empiendo d'un pensier' alto, e soave Quel core, ond' hanno i begli occhi la chiave |
Note. O that the Pope would take these eternal keys, which so for ever turn the bolts on the finest passages of true passion!
Vol. II
| Canzone 1 | Che debb' io far? &c. |
Very good, but not equal, I think, to
| Canzone 2 | Amor, se vuoi ch' i' torni, &c. |
though less faulty. With the omission of half-a-dozen conceits and Petrarchisms of
hooks, baits, flames
, and
torches
, this second canzone is a bold and impassioned lyric, and leaves no doubt in my mind of Petrarch's having possessed a true poetic genius.
Utinam deleri possint sequentia
:
| L. 17-19 | e la soave fiamma Ch' ancor, lasso! m' infiamma Essendo spenta, or che fea dunque ardendo? |
| L. 54-56 | ov' erano a tutt' ore Disposti gli ami ov' io fui preso, e l'esca Ch' i' bramo sempre |
| L. 76-79 | onde l' accese Saette uscivan d' invisibil foco, E ragion temean poco; Chè contra 'l ciel non val difesa umana. |
and the lines 86, 87
Poser' in dubbio, a cui
Devesse il pregio di più laude darsi
are rather flatly worded.
Footnote 1
: These notes, by Mr. C., are written in a Petrarch in my possession, and are of some date before 1812. It is hoped that they will not seem ill placed here.
Ed.
Footnote 2
: If George Herbert is meant, I can find nothing like an imitation of this canzone in his poems.
Ed.