Petrarch

American  

[pee-trahrk, pe-] / ˈpi trɑrk, ˈpɛ- /

noun

1. Francesco Petrarca, 1304–74, Italian poet and scholar.

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Petrarch British  

/ ˈpɛtrɑːk /

noun

1. Italian name Francesco Petrarca. 1304–74, Italian lyric poet and scholar, who greatly influenced the values of the Renaissance. His collection of poems Canzoniere, inspired by his ideal love for Laura, was written in the Tuscan dialect. He also wrote much in Latin, esp the epic poem Africa (1341) and the Secretum (1342), a spiritual self-analysis

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Other Word Forms

• Petrarchan
  adjective

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Petrarch

Tarot fell into the latter category as a sort of trick-taking game that required strategy and whose inspiration came from the “Triumphs,” a series of allegorical 14th-century poems by Petrarch.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

Ultimately, we can only hope that what Petrarch said in his time is true in ours.

From Salon ● Dec. 7, 2024

But the diamond-shaped panel does illustrate a line from the poet Petrarch about chasing desire.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2021

The poet Petrarch recorded how trolling for seashells could help people feel “unconscious of depressing cares.”

From New York Times ● Sep. 2, 2021

In Doc’s head the monotonal opening of Monteverdi’s Hor ch’ el Ciel e la Terra began to form, the infinitely sad and resigned mourning of Petrarch for Laura.

From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck

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