The poem describes the speaker's emotional state after being struck by the sweet gaze of a beloved woman. The gaze has pierced the speaker's heart, causing both pleasure and pain. The speaker is overwhelmed by the intensity of their emotions, feeling as though they are dying from love. Despite this, they cannot help but be drawn to the woman's gaze, which has become an all-consuming force in their life.
By Francesco Petrarca · First published 1343 · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Romanticism, Sonnet