Jean de La Fontaine (La Fontaine Jean de)

(1621-1695)
He was born in Chateau-Thierry July 8, 1621. From his childhood was distinguished by a rebellious temper, was sent to study law in Paris oratorianskuyu Seminary. Returning to the parent's estate in Champagne, where his father was a royal governor of twenty Lafontaine married a fifteen-year-Marie Erikar. The marriage was unsuccessful, and Lafontaine, defying family responsibilities, in 1647 went to Paris with the intention to devote himself to literary work. In 1657 he acquired the patron in the person of Fouquet, who dedicated several poems, including the famous Elegy to the nymphs in Vaud (Elgie aux nymphes de Vaux, 1662).
In 1667, the patroness of La Fontaine became the Duchess of Bouillon. Continuing to write enough voluntary content of the poem, . in 1665 he published his first collection of stories in verse (Les nouvelles en vers), . followed by the tales and stories in verse (Contes et nouvelles en vers, . 1664-1671) and Love of Psyche and Cupid (Les amours de Psyche et de Cupidon, . 1669),
. Staying up to 1672 protege of the Duchess of Bouillon and wanting to please her, he began to write Lafontaine's Fables (Fables) and issued the first six books in 1668. In this period the number of his friends were N.Bualo-Despreaux Madame de Sevigny, Jean Racine and Moliere. Turning in the final analysis, under the patronage of Madame de la Sabliц?re, the poet in 1680 completed the publication of twelve books of fables and in 1683 was elected a member of the French Academy. La Fontaine died in Paris on April 14, 1695.

The stories in his poems and short poems by La Fontaine is now almost forgotten, though they are full of wit and represent a sample klassitsistskogo genre. At first glance, their lack of moral edification is in clear contradiction with the essence of the genre. But more thoughtful analysis, it is clear that many of the fables of Aesop, Phaedrus, Nevle and other authors in the translation of La Fontaine's lost his exemplary sense, and we understand that the traditional form of hiding is not quite orthodox judgments. A hundred years after the appearance of La Fontaine, Jean-Basen Zh.Russo, catching this deep 'immoralizm', opposed to their children read, which, incidentally, they never intended.

La Fontaine's Fables are remarkable in its variety, rhythmic perfection, skillful use of archaisms (reviving the style of a medieval novel about Lise), a sober look at the world and deep realism.