Cercato Ho Sempre Solitaria Vita
The poem is a lamentation of the speaker's solitary life, expressing regret and longing for a lost love. The speaker describes their isolation, feeling abandoned by fortune and fate, and yearns for a return to a happier past. They acknowledge their mistakes and plead for forgiveness, hoping to regain what has been lost.
By Francesco Petrarca · First published 1343 · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Romanticism, Elegy · 372 words
First lines
THINKING ALWAYS OF LAURA, IT PAINS HIM TO REMEMBER WHERE SHE IS LEFT.
Still have I sought a life of solitude; The streams, the fields, the forests know my mind; That I might 'scape the sordid and the blind, Who paths forsake trod by the wise and good: Fain would I leave, were mine own will pursued, These Tuscan haunts, and these soft skies behind, Sorga's thick-wooded hills again to find; And sing and weep in concert with its flood.
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Cercato Ho Sempre Solitaria Vita is listed on Textopian as a poem by Francesco Petrarca, dated 1343 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Francesco Petrarca
- Date: 1343 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Lyric Poetry, Romanticism, Elegy, Philosophical Poetry, Nature Poetry
- Length: 372 words
- Structure: 1 section, 7 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)
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Similar titles
- Sennuccio Mio Benche Doglioso E Solo by Francesco Petrarca
- La Sera Desiar Odiar L Aurora by Francesco Petrarca
- Io Mi Rivolgo Indietro A Ciascun Passo by Francesco Petrarca
- Tutto L Di Piango E Poi La Notte Quando by Francesco Petrarca
- Ne Per Sereno Cielo Ir Vaghe Stelle by Francesco Petrarca
- Soleano I Miei Pensier Soavemente by Francesco Petrarca
Genres
- Lyric Poetry — The work expresses personal emotions and reflections, characteristic of lyric poetry.
- Romanticism — Themes of love, nature, and solitude align with Romantic ideals.
- Elegy — The poem reflects on loss and longing, typical of elegiac themes.
- Philosophical Poetry — The contemplation of life, solitude, and fate indicates philosophical undertones.
Tags
Italian Literature · Renaissance Poetry · Sonnet Collection · Love Poems · Medieval Italian · Classical Influence · Lyrical Poetry · Personal Reflections · Solitude · Melancholy · Longing · Desire
More by Francesco Petrarca
- Fifteen sonnets of Petrarch (1350)
- Voi, Ch' Ascoltate in Rime Sparse Il Suono (1343)
- Per Far Una Leggiadra Sua Vendetta (1343)
- Era 'L Giorno Ch' Al Sol Si Scoloraro (1343)
- Quel Ch' Infinita Providenza Ed Arte (1343)
- Quand' Io Movo I Sospiri a Chiamar Voi (1344)
- Si Traviato E 'L Folle Mio Desio (1343)
- La Gola E 'L Sonno E L' Oziose Piume (1344)
- All works by Francesco Petrarca