Petrarchism

[pee-trahr-kiz-uh m, pe-]

noun

the poetic style introduced by Petrarch and characteristic of his work, marked by complex grammatical structure, elaborate conceits, and conventionalized diction.

Also Pe·trar·chi·an·ism

[pi-trahr-kee-uh-niz-uh m] /pɪˈtrɑr ki əˌnɪz əm/.

Origin of Petrarchism

First recorded in 1880–85; Petrarch + -ism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for petrarchism

Historical Examples of petrarchism

The tendency of Petrarchism was also in the direction of romanticism.
A History of Literary Criticism in the Renaissance
Joel Elias Spingarn
Petrarchism became a fashion among the mediocre and a school among these above the common.
Initiation into Literature
Emile Faguet
Petrarchism returned, madrigals came in vogue, the social atmosphere was deodorized again.
Historia Amoris: A History of Love, Ancient and Modern
Edgar Saltus
Lyrical poets prefer the conscious shams of Petrarchism to any genuine utterance of emotion.
Renaissance in Italy: Italian Literature
John Addington Symonds
From this period also dates that literary phenomenon known under the name of Petrarchism.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 14, Slice 8
Various