The Poet Francesco Petrarca – a Lovesick Humanist

“Books have led some to learning and others to madness.” – Francesco Petrarca

Francesco Petrarca was many things including a traveler, a poet and a humanist. He was a father and eventually a grandfather who lived in Italy. He was born on July 20, 1304 and died on the same day 70 years later. He decided to Latinize his name and changed it to Petrarca. Petrarca was a very influential person in his time.

Petrarca was nicknamed “the first tourist” because he traveled a lot just for enjoyment. On April 26, 1336, Petrarca as well as his brother and two servants, climbed Mount Ventoux. He did it just for pure pleasure. He was inspired by Phillip V of Macedon who was, according to one of his friends, the first and only person to make it to the top of the mountain. He was the first person recorded who climbed a mountain just for the view at the top. Petrarch was not only a tourist, but a very talented poet.

Francesco Petrarca was a very talented and influential poet during his lifetime. In April of 1327, he met someone that would haunt him for the rest of his life. Her name was Laura. Petrarch fell in love with her as soon as he saw her. There was only one problem, Laura and Petrarch were already married but not to each other. That didn’t stop Petrarch though, he continued to write love poems about her but also write poems out of the anguish he experienced after the rejection.

'Pace non trovo, et non ò da far guerra;/e temo, et spero; et ardo, et son un ghiaccio': 'I find no peace, and yet I make no war:/and fear, and hope: and burn, and I am ice'.

I believe that his sights of manmade wonders and getting to know people through his poetry really affected and enhanced his ability as a humanist.

Petrarca was a very knowledgeable humanist, not only in his time, but even today. Humanism today is defined as, 'An outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters.' However, in the time of the renaissance, a humanist was a very educated person in the humanities. Petrarca is considered to be the father of humanism. Petrarca studied human thoughts and actions and the potential of humans and what they could do. Even as a member of the church, Petrarca did not see anything in his humanist beliefs that conflicted with his Catholic beliefs. To many, Petrarca is considered the father of humanism and I agree with them.

As seen from the essay, Petrarca was a very prominent traveler, poet and humanist during the renaissance. He liked to travel just for the fun of it. He was a very competent poet as well as a wonderful humanist. After all, he climbed a mountain for the view, wrote love poems to a woman who was already married and was considered the father of humanism. I believe that Francesco Petrarca was a perplexing person who has been impacting people’s lives for over 700 years.