Please explain "How difficult it is to save the bark of reputation from the rocks of ignorance"?

Question

Could anyone explain this quote from Petrarch?

Answer 1

In this case, "bark" means ship. Sailors are always trying to keep their boats from getting grounded by rocks. Therefore, Petrarch, an Italian poet and humanist who lived from 1304-1374, is using metaphor to illustrate his point on how difficult it can be to preserve a reputation from those who are uneducated.

Answer 2

Bark is a kind of ship and you certainly do not want to tear out the keel on the rocks (or shoals) of ignorance