Romantic Renaissance Poems Weren't Always for Lovers

For centuries, poets have shown us that a sonnet for someone special never goes out of style. This Valentine’s Day, with Taylor Swift’s poetry-themed album on the horizon, the gift of verse might carry even more weight. But in my research on Renaissance literature and gender, I’ve been struck by how many love poems from that era weren’t written for romantic partners.

These sonnets, crafted for friends and family, are not only beautiful but also serve as a reminder that love and Valentine’s Day aren’t just about romantic relationships.

The sonnet originated in 12th-century Italy as a 14-line poem with 11 beats per line and various rhyming patterns. Giacomo da Lentini, a poet in the Kingdom of Sicily, is credited with its invention, drawing inspiration from older Arabic and French poetry.

However, it was the Italian poet Petrarch who popularized the form. In the 14th century, he penned a collection of 366 poems, mostly sonnets, for a woman named Laura, whom he loved from afar during her lifetime and even after her death.

Although Petrarch passed away in 1374, his poetry became the most widely published literature of the Italian Renaissance, inspiring countless poets, known as “Petrarchists.” This movement spread globally in the 16th and 17th centuries, reaching Spain, France, England, and the Americas.

Thomas Wyatt is credited with writing the first English sonnets in the early 16th century, heavily influenced by Petrarch. Some of his best-known works, like “Whoso list to hunt,” are quasi-translations of Petrarch’s poems.

Shakespeare, writing half a century later, modified the form by ending his sonnets with a rhyming couplet, giving rise to the “Shakespearean sonnet.” Centuries later, his poems, such as those comparing love to a summer’s day, are still widely quoted.

Less known is the fact that half of Shakespeare’s sonnets were addressed to a young man, referred to as the “Fair Youth.” Depending on the interpretation, this gesture introduces an element of queerness, challenging societal norms.

Even before Shakespeare, during the Renaissance in Italy, the sonnet was more diverse than commonly believed. Petrarch, for instance, wrote poems for friends, like the Florentine poet Sennuccio del Bene. In one poem mourning Sennuccio’s death, Petrarch expresses his love and grief for both his friend and his beloved Laura.

Platonic love between men was accepted in the Renaissance, as seen in the poetry of Venetian writers Orsatto Giustinian and Celio Magno. Their friendship-inspired verses, written in Petrarchan style, blur the lines of sexual orientation.

Women also contributed to Renaissance poetry, like sisters Speranza Vittoria and Giulia di Bona, who penned joint sonnets in memory of their deceased sisters. These poems, along with others dedicated to family and friends, challenge the idea that romantic relationships are the only meaningful ones.

In today’s world, where traditional family structures are evolving, these Renaissance poems offer a broader perspective on love and relationships. They remind us to cherish all forms of love, whether romantic, platonic, or familial, and to appreciate the diverse ways people express affection and care for one another.

happy valentine's day

valentines gift for him

happy valentines day

st valentine

valentines day card

saint valentine

history of valentine's day

happy valentines

valentine quotes

free valentine printables

cute valentines sayings

valentines day trivia

origin of valentine's day

valentines day memes

valentine's day card messages

feliz dia de san valentin

valentine's day meaning

valentines day songs

valentines poems

valentine songs

valentine's day in spanish

what to write in valentines card

valentine day quotes

valentine's day bible verses

love hormone