A comparison of 2 of their poems, Matraini’s I am a Wild Deer and Petrarch’s CCIX, shows the style of the day. Both poems use the form of sonnet and employ similar metaphors around the subject of desire. Many of the mechanics of these poems are similar, but through comparing the use of the metaphor of a deer and what follows and precedes it in each poems, a distinct difference in tone and voice emerges.
Petrarch’s I am a Wild Deer
In Petrarch’s poem, he speaks of a pain he is unable to evade. He compares his pain to an “arrow in my heart,” and blames it on love; “that blessed load, by Love consigned.” The poem is effectively summarized with his deer simile in Line 9-11. Petrarch compares himself to a deer that has been shot with a poison dart, and the more he struggles and runs the faster the poison takes hold of his body (“suffers all the more by taking flight”). One gets the sense of hopelessness toward the end of this poem, for Petrarch explains that the pain lingers whether he “lingers or departs,” meaning not even death would rid him of pain.
Matraini’s CCIX
Chiara Matraini conveys a similar experience of being hurt by love in her poem. She also compares herself to a deer with a “sharp arrow driven through [her] heart.” She is bolder in her statement about a deer than Petrarch. Instead of making a reference to a deer being shot toward the end of her poem, Matraini announces it at the beginning, with direct reference to herself, “I am a wild deer.” She also chooses to describe the deer as “wild” which gives the metaphor an independent voice and also sets an unpredictable tone for the rest of the poem.
One gets a sense of anger and passion in her poem, through lines such as “seek him who destroys me” and “Flying high on the wings of strong desire.” Toward the end of the poem, one gets a sense that she feels defeated, when she says she “gain[s] a long death for my little life.”
Renaissance Love Poetry
Both poems are about pain from a past love. Both poems use the sonnet form and use a deer as a metaphor, as well as other analogies to nature. Both poets were even writing around the same time in history and were located relatively near to eachother, however, both poems evoke quite different emotions.
Petrarch meanders through his poem, seeming to present dreary comparisons as they come to him, while Matraini gives the reader more of a sense of being in the moment with her. She uses present tense for many of her lines, while Petrarch’s statements are past tense. It’s as if Petrarch’s poem is some sort of memory, while Matraini puts us directly in the scene.
Petrarch and Matraini Express Heartache during Renaissance
In conclusion, the differing tone and voice of each poem rests on the unique development and employment of metaphors and diction by the respective authors. Matraini’s poem is much more bold, passionate, and dramatic, while Petrarch’s poem wanders through the pangs of his soul. Both poems talk about the heartache of love in sonnet form, but clearly each poet had a different way of explaining and dealing with the pain.
Stephanie Cox - Stephanie earned a B.S. in General Science with minors in physics and professional writing from Portland State University. As a teenager, ...
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