The poem expresses the poet's longing for a beloved who has departed, and his desire to be reunited with her in heaven. He invokes Apollo to anchor his beautiful desire, which remains vivid despite the passage of time. The poet reflects on the fleeting nature of earthly life and the inevitability of death, yet he holds onto his hope of being reunited with his loved one in the afterlife.
By Francesco Petrarca · First published 1344 · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Romanticism, Allegory