Which 14th-century Italian poet is credited with perfecting the sonnet form and establishing the conventions of courtly love that influenced the English Renaissance?
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Correct answer: Francesco Petrarch
Petrarch's 'Canzoniere' established the 14-line structure and the thematic focus on an idealized, unobtainable lady. His influence was so profound that the original sonnet structure is still referred to as the Petrarchan sonnet.
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