Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online

Get access

Petrarchism
(1,001 words)

1. Concept

Petrarchism is generally defined as the direct or indirect emulation of Petrarch (1304-1374). Historically, it was founded on the poetics of imitation (Latin imitatio). The poetics of imitation remained mandatory long into the 18th century, and was in turn based on a close interaction of poetry and rhetoric (cf. Mimesis) [6]. Although already present in the Middle Ages, the poetics of imitation increasingly acquired programmatic power in the age of Renaissance Humanism, where…

Cite this page
Regn, Gerhard, “Petrarchism”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 03 December 2023 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_COM_025451>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20200721



▲   Back to top   ▲