Petrarch’s Canzoniere — 366 poems written over 40 years in pursuit of a woman named Laura — introduced the sonnet to European literature and helped move poetry from Latin into the vernacular. It is also, as A.M. Juster’s new translation makes plain, a deeply Augustinian collection: raw, confessional, and unresolved. Nadya Williams talks with Juster about the art of poetic translation, the discipline it demands, and why Petrarch still matters.

—

Christians Reading Classics is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this work, become a Mere Orthodoxy Member today at http://mereorthodoxy.com/membership.

Apply for fall 2026 admission to Beeson Divinity School’s MDiv and be considered for a full-tuition scholarship. https://bit.ly/beesonscholarships

—

Chapters 0:13 – Introduction to Petrarch’s Canzoniere. 0:42 – Discussion on the arc of the story. 1:26 – Overview of Petrarch’s themes. 2:23 – Introduction of Petrarch’s work. 2:51 – Introduction of Mike Jester. 4:31 – Definition of a Classic. 5:42 – Petrarch’s influence on European poetry. 6:41 – Challenges in translating Petrarch. 9:39 – Mike’s journey with Petrarch. 15:16 – Mike’s personal journey with poetry. 22:51 – Discussion on translation and Latin. 27:14 – Petrarch’s confessional poetry. 30:15 – Importance of poetry for Christians. 33:13 – Spiritual aspect of poetry. 40:39 – Translating challenging poems. 46:40 – Upcoming Propersious collection. 53:23 – Final question about classic literature.