Sonnet LXIV.

By Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch)

Sonnet
    Io amai sempre, ed amo forte ancora.     HE LOVES, AND WILL ALWAYS LOVE, THE SPOT AND THE HOUR IN WHICH HE FIRST BECAME ENAMOURED OF LAURA.     I always loved, I love sincerely yet,     And to love more from day to day shall learn,     The charming spot where oft in grief I turn     When Love's severities my bosom fret:     My mind to love the time and hour is set     Which taught it each low care aside to spurn;     She too, of loveliest face, for whom I burn     Bids me her fair life love and sin forget.     Who ever thought to see in friendship join'd,     On all sides with my suffering heart to cope,     The gentle enemies I love so well?     Love now is paramount my heart to bind,     And, save that with desire increases hope,     Dead should I lie alive where I would dwell.     MACGREGOR.

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Poem Details

Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain
Analysis & Notes:
This poem explores themes of love, longing, and memory, with a tone that is both melancholic and hopeful. The speaker's love is portrayed as enduring and intense, a force that shapes his perception of time and space. The 'charming spot' and the 'time and hour' of his first love are imbued with a sense of sacredness, becoming loci of emotional resonance where he often returns in times of sorrow.

The poem's structure is a sonnet, a form traditionally associated with love poetry, which lends a timeless quality to the speaker's emotions. The use of enjambment, particularly in the shift from the octave to the sestet, creates a sense of fluidity and continuity that mirrors the speaker's ongoing love. This love, personified as both a teacher and an enemy, is depicted as a transformative and contradictory force, leading the speaker towards both sin and salvation.

Key literary devices include personification and paradox, which serve to complicate the speaker's relationship with love. Love is personified as a cruel teacher and 'gentle enemies', suggesting a love that is both nurturing and damaging. The paradox of 'dead should I lie alive where I would dwell' underscores the speaker's intense longing for his beloved and the pain of their separation. Despite the anguish, the poem ends on a note of hope, signifying the speaker's belief in the redeeming power of love.

Understanding the Sonnet

The sonnet is one of the most enduring and celebrated forms of poetry, known for its strict structure and profound themes. With a history spanning centuries, sonnets have been used to explore love, beauty, politics, and mortality, all within the confines of just 14 lines.

Sonnets are characterized by their precise form and rhyme scheme, which vary depending on the type of sonnet. Here’s a closer look:

  • Shakespearean (English) Sonnet: Composed of three quatrains followed by a final couplet, with a rhyme scheme of ABABCDCDEFEFGG. This form often builds a complex argument or narrative, culminating in a powerful closing statement.
  • Petrarchan (Italian) Sonnet: Divided into an octave (eight lines) and a sestet (six lines), with a typical rhyme scheme of ABBAABBA for the octave, followed by various patterns in the sestet such as CDECDE or CDCDCD. The octave usually presents a problem, with the sestet providing a resolution.
  • Meter: Sonnets are traditionally written in iambic pentameter, which gives the poem a rhythmic and melodic quality that enhances its emotional impact.

The sonnet’s enduring appeal lies in its ability to condense complex emotions and ideas into a small but potent package, making it a favorite form for poets seeking to explore profound themes with precision and elegance.