Petrarch's Rimes are a reference work for umanesimo volgare in Italy and are therefore frequently edited and commented upon. The structure typical of commentary requires initial statements which progress passage by passage in the form of comments or as explanations of words, verses or sections.The successful commentators of the 16th century also make their own comments in connection with the text of another author and present interfering texts: on the one hand Petrarch's Canzoniere (the Cinquecento divides the Rimes into the Canzoniere, which is seen as central, and the less important Trionfi) and on the other hand an interpretation of the book of lyrics dealing with a multitude of questions. Its starting point is always text criticism. Graphology and editorial guidelines are limited to exegetic and interpretative processes. The end result tests both overall interpretations of Petrarch's love poetry and fundamental ways of dealing with vernacular poetry and its author.
