Jean de Lafontaine is a famous French fabulist. He ridiculed human vices and shortcomings, and especially the morals of the court of Louis the Great. Fables written by him were a great success among his contemporaries.
early years
Jean de La Fontaine was born in 1621 in the Chateau Thiers, in the French region of Champagne. At the age of 20, he was preparing for a spiritual rank, he wanted to take tonsure. However, at the insistence of his father, he did not do this and married a girl who at that time was only 14 years old. Lafontaine did not like her and throughout his life he was cold, as well as to children.
He later moved to Paris and became involved in law. His father served as a ranger in the forestry department. In 1647, Lafontaine inherited this position. However, he soon found himself in a completely different matter - the writing of fables.
Like most writers, Lafontaine tried himself in different genres. He revised the composition of Terence and wrote in 1654 the comedy "The Eunuch." She became the first published work of Lafontaine. In 1658, under the influence of Ovid and Virgil, he composed the poem Adonis, and four years later two odes.
In classical French literature, the question arose more than once: is it necessary to follow the ideals of ancient authors - the famous "dispute of the ancients and new". La Fontaine sided with the latter. His fables and funny tales completely renewed both literary genres, in particular thanks to the art of the author to derive difficult morality. La Fontaine borrowed the plot from ancient authors, but his attitude to actions and heroes gave something else. A similar approach brought him fame during his lifetime.
