The poem is a lamentation of the poet's lost love, Laura, who has died. The speaker describes his grief and sorrow, comparing it to the great rivers of the world, including the Iberian (Spanish) Tagus, the Indian Indus, and the Asiatic Ganges. He expresses his desire to be reunited with Laura in death, and to have his tears and lamentations flow like these mighty rivers.
By Francesco Petrarca · First published 1344 · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Romanticism, Philosophical Poetry