The poetry of Guido Cavalcanti can be seen as a response to the earlier works of Guittone d’Arezzo and his followers, who were deeply influenced by the Provençal tradition. Guittone's poetry, characterized by hermeticism, focused heavily on rhetorical flourishes, complex metrical patterns, and verbal intricacies. In contrast, the poets of “the sweet new style,” or stilnovisti, to which Cavalcanti belonged, shifted their emphasis away from technical virtuosity towards a more meaningful exploration of themes, particularly the theme of love.

While Guittone’s work spanned various subjects, Guido Guinizzelli, a prominent figure among the stilnovisti, narrowed the thematic scope to almost exclusively address love and its profound effects. Yet, Cavalcanti's approach to poetry should not be mistaken as mere adherence to Guinizzelli’s path. Instead, he carved out his distinctive niche by delving into the psychological dimensions of love, distinguishing himself from many of his contemporaries within the same movement. His philosophical sophistication was rivaled only by Dante among the stilnovisti.

Cavalcanti pioneered the use of the concept of spiriti—or spirits—in his poetry to vividly depict the inner turmoil and behavioral conflicts that love incites. This notion of spirits draws upon Scholastic traditions, wherein a "spirit" is described by Albertus Magnus as the "instrument of the soul" or the "vehicle of life." In Cavalcanti’s works, spirits symbolize the essence of vitality. They illuminate the eyes of the beloved and provide solace to the lover’s heart. However, when love intrudes, these spirits must retreat, symbolizing a metaphorical death.

This exploration of spirits also threads closely with the theme of death in Cavalcanti’s poems, highlighting the transformative and often destructive power of love. By weaving such themes together, Cavalcanti’s poetry presents a complex tapestry of love’s psychological impacts, setting him apart as a profound thinker and poet of his time.