Petrarch's Sonnet 90 says, in subtext, that true love must be sought and that action must be taken if one is to have a chance of experiencing true love. As noted above by Karen P.L. Hardison, the sonnet speaks of this man who did not take advantage of the opportunity for true love presented to him in his life. This man missed his chance with her and "the wound's not healed."
Petrarch's Sonnet 90 does present the feelings of true love, even though this man has not really experienced it. His reminiscences of the woman are manifestations of a true love locked inside him. He didn’t take action; he is now left to ponder the beauty of the woman, her essence. This is evident in the line:
She moved not like a mortal, but as though
she bore an angel's form...
The man also speaks of the woman’s voice. It was a voice beautiful and exclusive, unlike anyone else’s. This is how one typically thinks when thinking of a true love – that their qualities, characteristics, and personality are truly one-of-a-kind. This is what draws one individual to another – this recognition and acceptance of their uniqueness.
Poetic techniques used in Petrarch's Sonnet 90 include the sonnet form itself. The fourteen-line rhyme scheme is ABBA, ABBA in the first two stanzas (4 lines each). For the last two stanzas (three lines each) the rhyme scheme is CDE FCC, a variation on the usual CDE CDE or CDC DCD rhyme scheme.
This sonnet also employs alliteration:
…radiance is rare
… a sound that simple
… was it a wonder
In addition, the technique of metaphor is used in this sonnet. The object of the man’s desire is being identified like or compared to “a heavenly spirit, a living sun” and this reveals what the man truly sees her as. It also reveals that he realizes he has let her out of his life to his chagrin.
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