The poem describes the speaker's desire for revenge against a rival who has wronged him. He asks Fortune to grant him the opportunity to take vengeance, but in a subtle and elegant manner, so as not to appear cruel or brutal. The speaker believes that his enemy deserves punishment, but he wants to mete it out with refinement and wit, rather than brute force.
By Francesco Petrarca · First published 1343 · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Romantic Poetry, Sonnet