July 30, 2004

Petrarch the father of Humanism, is 700. The Petrarchan Grotto is worth a look, or check out the story of Petrarch and Laura. The old chap is in reasonable condition , given that he's been dug up a few times. Except that his head has been replaced with a woman's.
  • Sonnet All we need is fourteen lines, well thirteen now, and after this one just a dozen to launch a little ship on love's storm-tossed seas, then only ten more left like rows of beans. How easily it goes unless you get Elizabethan and insist the iambic bongos must be played and rhymes positioned at the ends of lines, one for every station of the cross. But hang on here while we make the turn into the final six where all will be resolved, where longing and heartache will find an end, where Laura will tell Petrarch to put down his pen, take off those crazy medieval tights, blow out the lights, and come at last to bed. Billy Collins Thanks for this post, Plegmund... fantastic!
  • Petrarch the father of Humanism, is 700. Man, we gotta get him an iPod!
  • Heh. But just suppose -- wot if this woman's skull is actually that of the real Petrarch? And the rest of the skellington is wot woz substituted? Might explain why Laura stayed aloof. Dig and dig, and wot reamins? Dang little credibility from me after reading all this, that any of these bones are really who they're said to be. Missing arms and broken craniums, hnff!
  • reamins = remains.