Jean De La Fontaine :: essays research papers

Jean de la FontaineLa Fontaine, the most versatile and most widely celebrated nondramatic poet in seventeenth century France. He has practically experienced the misfortune of having the artistry of his stimulates obscured by a host of myths, half-truths, prejudices, and nonaesthetic issues. This great poet, has become a &quotclassic&quot. His fables, on which his Reputations rests, are part of the literary canon of French writers and are studied in schools. His other works, however, have been rediscovered and are the object of quite a few late(a) studies. (Carter, pg.46) Very little is known about the early part of La Fontaines life. He was born in Ch&acircteau-Thierry, a small township in the province of Champagne some fifty miles northeast of Paris. His baptism was entered in the parish of Saint-Cr&eacutepin register on July 8, 1621. Most take this as his developed birth date, but according to the custom of the period, it probably means that La Fontaine was born a day or two earlier. (Mackay, pg.4) He was the son of Charles de la Fontaine, a royal government official who inspected forests and waterways. His mother Fran&ccediloise Pidoux, who came from a nobler family from Poitou. He also had a unexampleder brother who was born two geezerhood after La Fontaine. He also had an older step sister named Anne de Jouy on his mothers side of the family. (Carter, pg. 46)Burns 2The education and formative years of young la Fontaine are non documented. Most biographers state that, in all likelihood, he attended ch&acircteau-Thierry &quotcollege". This is a secondary institution where humanistic discipline were taught to the sons of the middle class. (Encarta n.pag.) He then attended a school at Reims. From there he went to Paris to study medicine and theology, but was drawn into the whirls of friendly life. During that time he became qualified as a lawyer, but never perused it. In 1641 he went to the Oratory of Saint Magloire in Paris , intending to become a non-Christian priest and was soon joined by his brother who later dropped out as did La Fontaine. (Http//localhost, pg. 3) After he left the Oratory he went home and started to work for his dad and eventually took over in 1647. The same year he married Marie H&eacutericart, who was an heiress. In 1653 Marie and La Fontaine had a son, (his name was not found in any of my sources).