In this course, we will explore the Renaissance via the life and literary genius of Francesco Petrarca, famously known as Petrarch. Considered the father of the Italian Renaissance, Petrarch’s scholarship and advocacy for the importance of classical Rome were considered fundamental throughout the Renaissance. Today, he is better remembered as a love poet. His famous Canzoniere or “songbook” charts his love for a woman, Laura, through 366 Italian poems. In these he incorporated the Latinate style into his vernacular poetry, bringing an elegance to the Italian language never before seen. Because of this, he was held up as the standard for all poetic writings in the vernacular, not just in Italy but across Europe. Petrarch’s name became synonymous with the Italian sonnet, and we will explore both his poetic mastery and trace his impact on his literary successors. Join us to uncover the essence of Petrarchan love poetry and its pivotal role in shaping literary history.
Required Reading
Petrarch: The Canzoniere or Rerum vulgarium fragmenta, trans. Mark Musa (Indiana University Press, 1999). ISBN: 978-0253213174
Meet Your Instructor
FABIAN ALFIE is a Professor of Italian at the University of Arizona. His specialization is in Italian literature of the Middle Ages and Renaissance and he received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He has published extensively on medieval Italian literature and has taught courses on Dante, Boccaccio, and the “dolce stil nuovo” for HSP. He has received two Superior Teaching Awards from the Humanities Seminars Program.
Location
POETRY CENTER
Dorothy Rubel Room
1508 E Helen
Tucson, AZ 85721
United States
Located on the SE corner of Helen Street and Vine Avenue, one block north of Speedway and three blocks west of Campbell Ave.
