GUIDO

CAVALCANTI (c. 1250-1300)  , Italian poet and philosopher, was the son of a philosopher whom Dante, in the Inferno, condemns to torment among the Epicureans and Atheists; but he himself was a friend of the great poet . By marriage with Beatrice, daughter of Farinata Uberti, he became head of the Ghibellines; and when the people, weary of continual brawls, aroused themselves, and sought peace by banishing the leaders of the rival parties, he was sent to Sarzana, where he caught a fever, of which he died . Cavalcanti has left a number of love sonnets and canzoni, which were honoured by the praise of Dante . Some are simple and graceful, but many are spoiled by a mixture of metaphysics borrowed from Plato, Aristotle and the Christian Fathers . They are mostly in honour of a French lady, whom he calls Mandetta . His Canzone d'Amore was extremely popular, and was frequently published; and his complete poetical works are contained in Giunti's collection (Florence, 1527; Venice, 1531-1532) . He also wrote in prose on philosophy and oratory . See D . G . Rossetti, Dante and his Circle (1874) .