- Jean de La Fontaine (1621-1695) was a French poet, is famous for his Fables (1668-1694).
- Modelad on Aesop's Fables, La Fontaine's fables portray human behavior through animal characters. But La Fontaine suggests more forcefully than Aesop that life is a jungle.
- La Fontaine treated such serious subjects as power, greed, and violence with an amused, philosophical acceptance.
- La Fontaine wrote his fables in light, natural verse. Despite their pessimism and sophistication, the Fables still play a large role in the education of French children.
- La Fontaine also wrote a collection of racy stories called Cantes (Tales) (1664-1666).
- According to Flaubert, he was the only French poet to understand and master the texture of the French language before Hugo.
- La Fontaine was born in Cháteau-Thierry. His friends described him as childlike, absent-minded, and ill-at-ease in society. A series of wealthy, cultured patrons supported him.
Facts about Jean de La Fontaine
