Which poet is generally credited with first popularising the sonnet form in European literature?

Introduction / Context:
This question belongs to the field of European literary history and focuses on the development of the sonnet, a short fourteen line poem with a specific rhyme scheme. While several famous poets wrote sonnets, one early Italian poet is especially credited with popularising the form and influencing later writers across Europe, including English poets.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The literary form in question is the sonnet.
• We are asked which poet first popularised this form.
• The options include Edmund Spenser, Francesco Petrarch, William Shakespeare and "None of the above".
• We assume basic knowledge of how the sonnet evolved from Italian to English traditions.

Concept / Approach:
The sonnet originated in Italy, and Francesco Petrarch is widely recognised as the poet who brought the form to high artistic development and popularity in the fourteenth century through his love sonnets addressed to Laura. Later poets, including Shakespeare and Spenser in England, took inspiration from this tradition and adapted the sonnet into their own languages and rhyme schemes. Therefore, although Shakespeare and Spenser are extremely famous sonneteers in English, Petrarch is the correct answer when we discuss the first major populariser of the sonnet form in European literature more broadly.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify that the sonnet originated as an Italian poetic form. Step 2: Recall that Francesco Petrarch's sonnet sequence about Laura became highly influential across Europe. Step 3: Recognise that Shakespeare and Spenser wrote later, in Elizabethan England, and built on an already established sonnet tradition. Step 4: Compare the options and match "first popularised" with the early Italian master, rather than with later English poets. Step 5: Conclude that Francesco Petrarch is the poet who fits this description.

Verification / Alternative check:
Literary histories typically refer to "Petrarchan sonnets" as the model that influenced Renaissance poets all over Europe. When discussing sonnet origins, they list Giacomo da Lentini as an early innovator but highlight Petrarch as the poet who truly popularised and refined the form. Shakespeare and Spenser are described as major figures in the English sonnet tradition, not as the earliest popularisers of the sonnet overall. This confirms Petrarch as the correct choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Edmund Spenser: Known for "The Faerie Queene" and also for his sonnet sequence "Amoretti", but he came later and did not originate or first popularise the sonnet in Europe.
William Shakespeare: Perhaps the most famous sonneteer in English, author of 154 sonnets, but he wrote after the sonnet had already been well established and popularised by Petrarch.
None of the above: This is incorrect because one of the listed poets, Francesco Petrarch, clearly matches the description given in the question.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates may instinctively choose Shakespeare because his sonnets are very famous and widely studied in English courses, forgetting that the sonnet form itself is older and came from Italy. Others may see Edmund Spenser's name and recall his "Amoretti" sequence, again overlooking the earlier Italian tradition. To avoid such errors, it is helpful to remember the label "Petrarchan sonnet" as a clue that points directly to Petrarch's central role in popularising the form.

Final Answer:
The poet who first popularised the sonnet form is Francesco Petrarch.