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.

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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.