Win a Signed Copy of To A Strange Somewhere Fled

To A Strange Somewhere Fled (sequel to A House Near Luccoli) is on its way to being released by All Things That Matter Press BY NEXT WEEK.

To the run up of that exciting day, here is a chance to win a signed copy of the novel, as well as one of A House Near Luccoli. All you have to do is write in the comments who you think penned the Petrarchan Sonnet below (it appears in the novel). All those who guess correctly will be entered into a draw from which the winner will be chosen. The contest will end on the day of To A Strange Somewhere Fled‘s release.

The Petrarchan sonnet was not developed by Petrarch himself, but rather by a string of Renaissance poets. Because of the structure of Italian, the rhyme scheme of the Petrarchan sonnet is more easily fulfilled in that language than in English. The original Italian sonnet form divides the poem’s 14 lines into two parts, the first part being an octave and the second being a sestet.
~ Wikipedia

This is the sonnet in question, translated from Italian, of course!

And I will give you a little clue: there are actually two answers – you only have to guess one.

Why is there little to say of a time
when courtesy cost me your devotion?
So much of my life, so much detention,
modesty in love the cause of my crime.
Yet, I was nearly foolish in my prime,
but saved for your Orphean persuasion
and, alas, the chance of imitation
that would only make your memory mine.

To speak of the heart’s secrets is to give
away their endurance, and so concede
they might be fabricated out of need
more than truth. No, it’s better that they live
on covertly in poetical creed,
kept as constantly joyful as plaintive.

 

Good Luck!