
The poem describes the speaker's longing to see their beloved again, who has departed from this world. The speaker expresses a sense of desperation and despair, feeling that they have lost their reason for living. They lament that even in death, they cannot be reunited with their loved one, as the heavens are too high and the earth is too low.
By Francesco Petrarca · First published 1344 · Genre: Religious Poetry, Philosophical Poetry, Lyric Poetry · 2,787 words
When all beneath the ample cope of heaven / I saw, like clouds before the tempest driven, / In sad vicissitude's eternal round, / Awhile I stood in holy horror bound; / And thus at last with self-exploring mind, / Musing, I ask'd, "What basis I could find / To fix my trust? " An inward voice replied, / "Trust to the Almighty: He thy steps shall guide; / He never fails to hear the faithful prayer, / But worldly hope must end in dark despair. " / Now, what I am, and what I was, I know; / I see the seasons in procession go / With still increasing speed; while things to come, / Unknown, unthought, amid the growing gloom / Of long futurity, perplex my soul, / While life is posting to its final goal.
Da Poi Che Sotto 'L Ciel Cosa Non Vidi is listed on Textopian as a poem by Francesco Petrarca, dated 1344 CE.
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Italian Literature · Renaissance Poetry · Love Poems · Sonnet Collection · 14th Century Writing · Classical Influence · Lyrical Poetry · Nature Imagery · Romanticism · Courtly Love · Medieval Inspiration · Philosophical Themes