Seven centuries after the birth of Petrarch (1304-74) the nature and extent of his influence loom ever larger in the study of renaissance literature. In this revised and expanded edition of Petrarch's Canzoniere in the English Renaissance Anthony Mortimer presents a unique anthology of 136 English poems together with the specific Italian texts that they translate, adapt or exploit. The result, with its revealing juxtapositions of major and minor figures, makes fascinating reading for anyone who wants to get beyond broad generalizations about Petrarchism and see exactly what English poets made...

Dante's best friend and a major exponent of the dolce stil novo, Guido Cavalcanti has had a lasting influence upon Italian poetry and is best known to English readers through the essays, translations and adaptations of Ezra Pound. Born from the cultural ferment of thirteenth- century Florence, Cavalcanti's poetry is an extraordinary blend of unorthodox philosophy, sharp psychological insight and dazzling formal mastery. Anthony Mortimer, acclaimed for his versions of Petrarch and Michelangelo, provides a new verse translation complete with notes, critical comment and biographical material:...