Michelangelo's Mystic Poetry

The spiritual struggle behind his art

You know Michelangelo as one of the greatest artists of all time — but do you know him as a poet?

On top of sculpting La Pietà and painting the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo crafted some of the most remarkable pieces of Renaissance poetry. His collection of over 300 poems, known as the Rime, is shocking in its psychological, emotional, and theological depth.

But Michelangelo’s poetry is also intensely personal and spiritual. The Florentine artist never shied away from bearing his heart, and he used poetry as a means to wrestle with his sin, and return back to God.

Today, we examine the poem that best exemplifies Michelangelo’s intense spiritual struggles. Never intended for publication, it was written on the back of a letter dated April 27, 1522.

Over seven short lines, the poem not only reveals Michelangelo’s battle with lust (which impedes him from ascending to God), but also the true depth of his genius.

It is rife with allusions to the work of Dante and Saint Augustine, and proves that the world’s greatest artist wasn’t just a sculptor, painter, and poet — he was a theologian as well.