Personal Philosophy Of Petrarch, Who Is Sometimes Called The Father Of Humanism

The intellectual achievements of Petrarch reflected the ideologies of humanism by forming and spreading humanism throughout his literary works, and influencing other writers to come. Petrarch had an interest in past literature and texts. But at the same time he wanted to be relevant and different from what has already been done. So he combined the two and was able to restore relations to Christianity and classical Greek and Roman thought into his writing. This worked well for him, in the article, “Early Renaissance Literature” the author says ,“Petrarch, who is sometimes called the ‘Father of Humanism,’ was the first of many of these scholars to achieve an international fame through his literary works.

In a life devoted to writing and study, he tried to create a relevant personal philosophy guided by the works of classical Antiquity” (“Early Renaissance Literature” 2). This relates back to an intellectual view because he took his poems, and other pieces of literature and spread education through them. For example his collection of poems called the Triumphs were about foreign wars, but he wove in secular topics like symbolic battles between Love, Chastity, Death, Fame, Time, and Eternity. He was spreading education from the past but putting a worldly spin on it which gained an audience that eventually turned into humanism. His new style of literature attracted more readers, which then unknowingly spread knowledge.

Humanism was the time of rebirth. Petrarch reflected the beliefs of humanism because he was the one who jumpstard the rebirth of literature. Petrarch deferred from the other writers of the time who wrote only about religion, because Petrarch’s works stresses about how there is a place for enjoyment of literature and all the other wonderful opportunities that the world offered. He was the first to make that switch, and from that people began to focus on the joys of the world as well, instead of letting religion control their life. This is the important move that shifted Italy into the renaissance period and the humanism mind set. In addition to spreading humanism throughout his literary works, Petrarch also influenced many writers during the renaissance and after. In the article, “Italian Language and Literature” the author explains that poets from the Renaissance and after model Petrarch’s works, but they adapt his style to to fit their own needs.

It also goes on to say that his other works are taught in schools today. (“Italian Language and Literature” 8). This relates to the intellectual aspect of the Renaissance because, he perfected the sonnet for example, which is now being taught in language arts classes, which shows that he is spreading education still to this day. He also expressed psychological insights that would inspire later writers including Chaucer. He influenced writers, who later spread education. This evidence supports the ideologies of humanism because many of the writers who were inspired by him also began to write about worldly topics and get a humanism audience, so Petrarch spread humanism by influencing writers to write about that topic. Petrarch creating humanism from his new style of writing, and inspiring other writers, played a crucial role in the intellectual view of the Renaissance while mirroring the beliefs of humanism. Though he may not receive the credit he deserves, Petrarch’s impact caused the Renaissance to begin and created the boom in Italy.