His works were considered to be the first "modern" poems and the inventor of the sonnet, writing over 300 sonnets. ... They include the "Africa", dealing with the Second Punic war and especially with the tales of Scipio Africanus, and the "Carmen bucolicum" which was made up of twelve poems. ... His daughter Francesca moved in with him. His friends such as Boccaccio, who brought him a Latin translation of Homer's poems, frequently visited him. ... His development of the sonnet helped influence literary greats like Shakespeare and Chaucer. ...

• Word Count: 675
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

After Petrarch studied the humanists before him, he began to write great sonnets and he was known to be the "father of humanism". Petrarch wrote lyric poetry dealing with individuals; he wanted to share knowledge for the public good. ... He started a library of the classics where he translated them for everyone to read. ... Boccaccio lived in Florence with Petrarch and Dante in 1350. ... (Fleming 253) After the fall of Constantinople the collection and translations of classical books or writings became really popular. ...

• Word Count: 656
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

The book was written in French but was first published (1786) in English translation. ... He achieved literary fame with his Account of Corsica (1768), based on his visit to that island and on his acquaintance with the Corsican patriot Pasquale Paoli. ... In 1739 he began a grand tour of the Continent with Horace Walpole . ... His first important poems, written in 1742, include "To Spring,"" "On a Distant Prospect of Eton College,"" and a sonnet on the death of his close friend Richard West. ... Much of his verse is tinged with melancholy, and even more of it reflects his extensive learning....

• Word Count: 1249
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School