The poem "He Bewails his Double Loss in the Deaths of Laura, and of Colonna" by Francesco Petrarca is a lament for the loss of two important figures in the poet's life. The first stanza describes the death of Laura, who was the object of Petrarch's unrequited love. The second stanza mourns the death of Cardinal Giovanni Colonna, a close friend and patron of Petrarch. Throughout the poem, Petrarch expresses his grief and despair at these losses, as well as his fear that he will never find happiness again.
By Francesco Petrarca · First published 1342 · Genre: Poetry, Elegy, Renaissance Literature