What is a Petrarchan lover?

Answer 1

Someone who is in love with the idea of being in love. A Petrarchan lover derives it's meaning from the Italian poet, Petrarch, self-proclaimed father of the Renaissance. Petrarch's unrequited love for a married woman, Laura, inspired poems where Petrarch catalogues Laura's physical beauty. Some examples would include declarations such as, "Her eyes are like XXX, her hair is like YYY, her lips are like ZZZ." In English, the most popular charicature of a Petrarchan lover is Shakespeare's Romeo. At the beginning of Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is seen cataloging the physical attributes of Rosiline, his unrequited lover.

Answer 2

A Petrarchan lover is someone who idolizes a person they desire but may not have a physical or romantic relationship with. This concept originates from the 14th-century Italian poet Petrarch, who wrote about unrequited love and idealized his beloved, Laura, in his sonnets.