It was the morning of the blessed day
Whereon the Sun in pity veiled his glare
For the Lord’s agony, that, unaware,
I fell a captive, Lady, to the sway
Of your swift eyes: that seemed no time to stay
The strokes of Love: I stepped into the snare
Secure, with no suspicion: then, and there
I found my cue in man’s most tragic play.
Love caught me naked to his shaft, his sheaf,
The entrance for his ambush and surprise
Against the heart wide open through the eyes.
The constant gate and fountain of my grief:
How craven so to strike me stricken so,
Yet from you fully armed conceal his bow!
1. Who is he referring to when he says Lady?
2. What does he mean “found my cue”?
3. The third stanza means…?
4. What does he mean by “conceal his bow”?
2 Answers
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1. Petrarch is referring to Laura, whom he saw for the first time in church at Easter time. He fell instantly in love with her, but she, being married, remained unattainable always. His sonnets are mainly written to her. Even if he doesn’t mention her by name, it is to her that he writes his sonnets.
2. “Found my cue” refers to him finding his part in “man’s most tragic play.” The most tragic play he is speaking of is unrequited love, where someone loves another person deeply, but is not or cannot be loved in return. In this case, he cannot be loved in return because she is married, and does not return his love. But he has a part to play–the lover who is not loved in return.
3. The third stanza refers to him being caught by Cupid, who was believed to shoot arrows into people, making them fall hopelessly and helplessly in love. He was just standing there in church, and suddenly was hit by Cupid’s arrow. He had no warning, so he wasn’t even able to protect himself.
4. In the fourth stanza, “conceal his bow” is a reflection of the fact that while he, Petrarch, was hit by an arrow from Cupid’s bow and fell head over heels for Laura, Cupid hid his bow from the Lady, and did not fire an arrow at her, so she did not fall in love with Petrarch in return. She remains chaste and faithful to her husband.
I hope that helps.
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Help analyzing Petrarch's Sonnet III?
It was the morning of the blessed day
Whereon the Sun in pity veiled his glare
For the Lord's agony, that, unaware,
I fell a captive, Lady, to the sway
Of your swift eyes: that seemed no time to stay
The strokes of Love: I stepped into the snare
Secure, with no suspicion: then, and…