Francesco Petrarch's poetry had a great effect on the poems of later poets such as Shakespeare and Chaucer. His works were considered to be the first "modern" poems and the inventor of the sonnet, writing over 300 sonnets. Francesco was born in Arezzo, Italy, July 20th, 1304. His family moved to Florence early in his life. There his father, Petracco, was a court clerk, but ... and knowledge. Not only was he a poet, he was a scholar and historian always searching for a new interest to learn about. His development of the sonnet helped influence literary greats like Shakespeare and Chaucer. Petr...

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