Petrarch's sonnet on golden hair and wind

Petrarch's sonnet "She let her gold hair scatter in the breeze"

Analysis of following Petrarchan sonnet 90

Petrarch is today considered by many to have perfected the sonnet form in poetry and is seen as, "... The first modern poet" ("Petrarch") The poetry is characterized by images of idealized women and references to classical images and formalities of love. As one critic states, "...Petrarch 'plucked sonnets with flowers along a running brook', and 'poured into them the sighs of his heart, a divine stream murmuring through his verses '." (Spiller 45) As will be discussed in this analysis of the poem in question, the central element is the emotional intensity and the deeply felt understanding and expression of human love. The poem also explores the archetypal theme of lost and unrequited love as a central thematic thread. The use of extended metaphor, rhythm and other literary devices form an integral part of the meaning of the poem.

The poem opens with a lucid and sensitive invocation of the idealized and perfect women. While the image that is created is one of golden beauty and radiance, there is another undertone to the description of the women that runs throughout the poem. This is a sense of distance and loss. The flow of the stanza rhythmically moves towards the last lines which indicate that the love for his beautiful women is in the past.

In the first two lines the description is one of intense beauty.

She let her gold hair scatter in the breeze that twined it in a thousand sweet knots,

However the pervading sense of loss and departure is evident even at this early stage of the poem's development. This can be seen in the stress on the words "scatter" and "breeze"; which suggests that this beauty has become diminished or lost for the protagonist.

The stanza continues to describe the woman as "beyond measure"; but the stanza leads to the central focus of loss in that the metaphorical light that burns so brightly in the beautiful eyes is now "dim."

The first stanza therefore sets the tone and suggests the dual thematic strains in the poem; namely the experience of desire and love and the sense of departure, loss and mourning. These two strands are continued in the second stanza.

Note that the poet increases the intensity of the last words of the stanza "dim," by placing it in close contrast to the suggested passion of "burn" at the end of the second last line. The word "dim" could be interpreted as referring to either the death of woman or, more likely, to diminishing of her love for him. This latter interpretation is supported by reference to her pity in the next stanza

The first two lines of the second stanza seem to refer to the way that the woman perceives the protagonist. This can be seen in the use of the word " pity." There is also an element of doubt present as the protagonist is unsure of how to interpret her facial expression. What is clear though is that this suggests that these events took pace in the past through the perception of memory

However, the second half of the stanza reaffirms his intense love for the women. A central element that is fostered throughout the poem is the sense of emotional intensity and passion which is suggested by images and metaphors of burning and fire. For example, who had the lure of love in my breast, what wonder if I suddenly caught fire?

The second stanza continues the theme of lost love. The woman is depicted in a golden light and idealized form, which is supported by the emotional intensity of the protagonists love for her. This stanza also follows the same pattern of increase and decrease in intensity and the shift between adoration and loss of love. This pattern continues throughout the stanzas and culminates in the final lines of the poem. It is as if the recollection and memory of the loved one intensifies the feeling of love and passion to mythical proportions.

Her way of moving was no mortal thing, but of angelic form: and her speech rang higher than a mere human voice.

The above lines reflect the way that the image of the woman is beyond all mortal categories and that she has, in the eyes of the protagonist, assumed a state of idealistic perfection in his mind.

The final stanza continues this metaphoric exaggeration, which is intended as an expression of his love for her. "A celestial spirit, a living sun." The metaphor used in this line is clear and the woman is seen as the very source of life itself, as well as someone who has transcended this world and lives in a perfect spiritual form. However, this intensity of feeling is linked to the last two lines.