What is Guido Cavalcanti?
'''Guido Cavalcanti''' (1259 – August 1300) was an Italian poet from [[Florence]].<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Guido-Cavalcanti Guido Cavalcanti, Encyclopaedia Britannica.]</ref> He was the best friend of [[Dante Alighieri]] as well as an influence on his thinking.<ref>{{cite book| last = Ruud| first = Jay| title = Critical Companion to Dante| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Hqc5tXPUjI0C&pg=PA417| year = 2008| publisher = Infobase Publishing| isbn = 978-1-4381-0841-4| page = 417 }}</ref> Cavalcanti is one of the most important poets of [[Dolce stil novo]],<ref>[http://www.letteraturaitaliana.org/guidocavalcanti.html Guido Cavalcanti, Letteratura italiana.]</ref> and he is widely regarded as the first major poet of [[Italian literature]]. [[File:Rime di Guido Cavalcanti.tif|thumb|''Rime'', 1813]] == Biography == Cavalcanti was born into a noble [[Guelphs and Ghibellines|Guelph]] family; his father was [[Cavalcante de Cavalcanti]]. In 1267 he got married to Bice, daughter of [[Farinata degli Uberti]], leader of the Florentine Ghibellines. In 1284 he became a member of the general council, together with [[Brunetto Latini]] and [[Dino Compagni]].<ref>[http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/guido-cavalcanti/ Cavalcanti Guido, Treccani, la cultura italiana.]</ref> On June 24 1300 he was exiled, so he went to [[Sarzana]]. On August 19 of the same year he could return in Florence, but he died after a few days, on August 29. == Works == Guido Cavalcanti wrote [[sonnet]]s and [[ballad]]s. Only fifty two poems by the poet are known today.<ref>{{cite book| last1 = Lambdin| first1 = Laura C.| last2 = Lambdin| first2 = Robert T.| title = Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=A_fAzqriYGoC&pg=PA83| year = 2013| publisher = Routledge| isbn = 978-1-136-59425-0| page = 83 }}</ref> Hist best works are the canzone ''Donna mi prega'' (''A lady asks me''), the ballad ''I' prego voi che di dolor parlate'' (''I ask you that speak about suffering'') and the sonnet ''L’anima mia v