The Sonnets, Triumphs, and Other Poems of Petrarch

Petrarch was an Italian scholar, poet, and early humanist, often popularly called the "father of humanism." Based on his work, and to a lesser extent that of Dante and Boccaccio, Pietro Bembo in the 16th century created the model for modern Italian later endorsed by the Accademia della Crusca. Petrarch is credited for perfecting the sonnet, making it one of the most popular art forms to date. The sight of a woman called Laura in the church of Sainte-Claire d'Avignon awoke in him a lasting passion, celebrated in the Rime sparse ("Scattered rhymes"). This collection of 366 poems was later renamed Il Canzoniere ("Song Book"). This book contains his two most popular collections, Il Canzoniere and the Triumphs.