Selections from the Canzoniere and Other Works (Paperback)

~ Francesco Petrarch (Author), (Translator) "YOU may, perhaps, have heard tell of me, though even this is doubtful, since a poor and significant name like mine will hardly have travelled..." (more)
Key Phrases: The Ascent of Mount Ventoux

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An excellent anthology of the major lyrics and several key Latin texts that will find a welcome place in courses on Italian Renaissance literature, history, and culture."--Peter Bondanella, Indiana University, Bloomington

Product Description

This entirely new translation includes Petrarch's short autobiographical prose works, The Letter to Posterity and The Ascent of Mount Ventoux, and a selection of twenty-seven poems from the Canzoniere, Petrarch's best-known work in Italian.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; Oxford World's Classics edition (August 5, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192839519
• ISBN-13: 978-0192839510
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #797,565 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "One of the Greatest Poets of All Time", September 24, 2002

By	Johannes Platonicus (South Bend, Indiana) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

The Italian philosopher, Fransesco Petracha (1304-74), who was responsible for the recovery of many Latin manuscripts, who was one of the primary causes of the revival of Latin letters, and who, like Dante, wrote much of his poetry in the vulgar tongue, is one of the greatest poets of all time and one of the most influential men in the history of the western world. Of the poems he wrote in his native Italian, 366 have survived under the name "Canzoniere" (short-song). Roughly 45 of the 366 poems are provided here in an excellent, faithful translation which steers clear of that cancerous and faulty element in poetry--the rhyme. They were carefully selected for their content, so the discouraging number of 45 poems seems bigger when the editor's subtle discretion is taken into account. The basis of these poems--like Dante's Beatrice and Catallus' Lesbia--rests mostly upon Petrach's undying love for Laura, but at times his verse resounds with political and religious themes, and with praises of Rome's past and the Italy of his own time. Every poem will be an enjoyable read; they are always profound and inspiring in their glorification of feminine beauty; and the vivid and picturesque allusions to nature are always soothing and edifying. One may easily see, after reading Petrach's "Canzoniere," Horace handing Petrach his pen and Virgil his laurel crown, for they were as real to him as the lines of his poetry. They guided him through the fields of Italy and lent him breaths of inspiration along the way. Petrarch was anything but a mean and vulgar poet; he deservedly stands out as great amongst the greatest. Also included are some short prose works (letters) which throw some significant light upon the life and character of Petrach. This conveniently sized collection of the poet laureate's works is thoroughly recommended.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A thoughtful selection in translation, June 8, 2009

By	Nick (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Selections from the Canzoniere and Other Works (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)

Petrarch just isn't my favorite. That said, he is worth reading, savoring; his verse and prose are worth reflecting upon. This is a great writer and mind of an important time period in Western European history and culture that is often overlooked. Petrarch is a product of Feudal Italy and the Western Schism (the Avignon Popes) and his writings give a new dimension to the time period, particularly for anyone who already enjoys the history, music, painting, tapestries, sculptures and architecture of this era.

Italy and France are on the very verge of that explosion of cultural growth and development we now call the Renaissance. This is that very pregnant spot on the time line of Western European history when everything is about to change (within a hundred years or so)and Petrarch is an important voice and a significant person of the time.

The end notes and introduction are both very well done -- as one would expect of anything associated with Oxford's World Classics series. Both the introduction and the notes add significant contextual value to the author's works. This little selection of his works in translation is a volume very worthy of any Anglophone's bookcase.