He began his work on fables with the translations of Aesop and became a famous fabulist of the New Age (17th century).
La Fontaine's creative heritage is rich: poetry, poems, fairy tales and stories in verse, prose), but in world literature he remained primarily a fabulist who developed and enriched the fable genre.
From biography
Jean de La Fontaine (1621-1695) was born on July 8, 1621 in the town of Château-Thierry in the province of Picardy. His father Charles was the royal hunting manager and chief forester of the duchy of Château-Thierry.
At first, La Fontaine was preparing for the clergy, but then he began to study law in Paris, at the same time attending a circle of young poets.
In 1647, at the insistence of his father, he married a young Marie Ericard, who was only 14 or 15 years old. But La Fontaine is very frivolous about marriage and further family life, not raising his only son and living in Paris separately from his family, among friends, admirers and admirers of his talent.
In 1649 he received a law degree and a position at the High Court in Paris. But soon he moved to Château-Thierry, where he received a leading position in the forestry of the duchy. Here he reads a lot, often travels to Paris to meet with friends.
La Fontaine's first work, the comedy The Eunuch, was published in 1654 and was not successful.
In 1658, one of La Fontaine's relatives introduces him to Nicolas Fouquet, the superintendent of finance of France in early years reign of Louis XIV, one of the most powerful and wealthy people in France. Fouquet becomes La Fontaine's patron. In the future, La Fontaine will have other very influential patrons. La Fontaine's work is developing, he publishes one work after another. Its popularity is growing. But the first collection of fables came out only in 1668.
It was called "Aesop's Fables, Transcribed into Poems by M. de La Fontaine." Later, several more volumes of fables were published, and this genre is becoming quite popular.
The significance of La Fontaine for literary history
It consists in the fact that he created a new genre of fable, borrowing from the ancient authors only the external storyline. His fables are not so much philosophical as lyrical, due to the individual character of La Fontaine.
The artistic significance of La Fontaine's fables is facilitated by the beauty of the poetic introductions and digressions, its figurative language, the richness and diversity of the poetic form.
La Fontaine's Fables
The moral of La Fontaine's fables is peculiar. He does not lecture, but states the fact that the cunning and dexterous usually prevail over the kind and common people. He convinces the reader that the poor and the powerless should not struggle with circumstances and injustice, but only need to adapt to the life in which they are forced to live and come to terms with the circumstances.
Lafontaine
Frog and Ox
The frog, seeing Vol in the meadow,
She started to catch up with him in her maternity:
She was envious
And well, puff up, puff and puff up.
"Look, wah, what, shall I be with him?" -
He says to a friend. - "No, gossip, far away!"
“Look how I am swelling wide now.
Well, how does it feel?
Have I replenished? " - "Almost nothing."
"Well, how now?" - "All the same." Puffed and puffed
And my entertainer ended on
That, not equal to the Ox,
With a strain, she burst and - numb.
There is more than one such example in the world:
And is it any wonder when a philistine wants to live,
As an eminent citizen,
And the fry is small, like a nobleman.
(Translated by I. Krylov. The content of the fable is borrowed from Phaedrus)
His heroes are those who know how to arrange their own destiny. V. A. Zhukovsky, who himself translated La Fontaine's fables, said about them as follows: "Do not look for his morality in the fables - there is none!" And Rousseau and Lamartine generally expressed doubts about the usefulness of La Fontaine's fables for children, because they treat vice as inevitable and do not develop pity in children.
But his fables express sympathy for ordinary people and condemnation of idleness.
Lafontaine
The Farmer and His Sons 
Work as long as you have enough strength
Tirelessly! In work - the same treasure.
One peasant being rich
And standing on the edge of the grave
He called his children, and so he tells them
He is without witnesses, on his deathbed:
“In the hereditary land, a rich treasure is buried,
Sell it - God protect you!
I myself do not know where he is hidden;
But you, through work and patience,
You will find him without a doubt.
You are in August, having finished the grind,
Plow the field immediately:
Let the plow go everywhere,
Dig, dig there free,
The smallest corner in the field
Go far and wide. "
He died. The sons dug the whole field,
They searched here and there. Next year
It gave double income
But the treasure was never discovered in the ground.
Father in his own special way
He showed them that labor is the same treasure.
He ridicules the arrogance, vanity and arrogance of the aristocracy, its meanness, avarice, pettiness and cowardice, thereby defending universal human spiritual values. La Fontaine's fables are filled with the author's original and unconventional philosophy.
Lafontaine
Madman and Sage
The madman once threw stones at the Sage, 
Chasing him; The wise man told him this:
"My friend! you are in the sweat of your face
Worked; here's a coin for that:
Deserved work should be rewarded.
Look, here is a man passing by, he
Rich immeasurably
And he will probably reward generously for your gifts. "
The Fool went to the passer-by, hurrying
To strike him a blow, in the hope of profit;
But he received a different reward:
A passer-by called the servants, and they hurry quickly
Beat the Fool and drive away the barely alive.
We see such madmen near the kings:
To amuse the lord,
They are always ready to laugh at you.
Do not touch them to silence them.
Moreover, if you are not strong, then,
No matter how angry you are, it will not help you;
Direct them to someone who can repay them.
(Translated by N. Yur'in)
At the same time, moralizing morality fades into the background in his fables. It was much more important for the author to express his own thoughts and feelings. His fables are characterized by philosophical reflections, numerous lyrical digressions.
Lafontaine
Lion and Mouse
The Mouse humbly asked Leo for permission
Make a village nearby in a hollow
And so she said: “Although, de, here, in the woods,
You are both mighty and glorious;
Although no one is equal in strength to Leo,
And his only roar inspires fear at all,
But who will guess the future
How do you know? who needs whom?
And no matter how small I seem,
And maybe sometimes I will be useful to you. "
"You! - Lev cried out. - You wretched creature!
For these daring words
You are worth death as a punishment.
Get away, away away, while I'm alive
Or yours will not be dust. "
Here Poor Mouse, not remembering from fear,
From everyone she started - her trace was gone.
The lion did not pass in vain, however, this pride:
Going to look for prey for lunch
He was caught in the snare.
The strength in him is useless, the roar and moan are in vain,
No matter how he was torn or rushed,
But all the prey of the hunter remained,
And he was taken away in a cage to show the people.
He later remembered about Poor Mouse,
To help him she managed,
That the net would not have survived from her teeth
And that his arrogance ate it.
Reader, loving the truth,
I will add to the fable, and even then not on my own
It is not in vain that the people say:
Do not spit in the well, it will come in handy
Get some water to drink.
(Translated by I. Krylov. The content of the fable is borrowed from Aesop)
The language of La Fontaine's fables is notable for its liveliness and originality, sometimes it is close to folklore. La Fontaine's fables are like little comic plays.
The Russian fabulists Sumarokov, Chemnitser, Izmailov, Dmitriev and even the famous Krylov also studied with La Fontaine. The path of Krylov as a fabulist began with the translation in 1805 of two of La Fontaine's fables: "The Oak and the Cane" and "The Choosy Bride".
You can get used to everything in the world, even to life.
Reading La Fontaine, we notice in our soul the feeling that the presence of a modest, sweet, completely good-natured sage usually produces in her - she is calm, happy, contented with both nature and herself. With such a single character, La Fontaine combined the poet's talents to the highest degree.
Vasily Zhukovsky
French fabulist.
Read in the library liters *
Jean de La Fontaine was born on July 8, 1621 in the town of Chateau-Thierry in the province of Picardy. His father, Charles, was the royal hunting manager and chief forester of the duchy of Château-Thierry. Mother, nee Françoise Pidoux, was 12 years older than her husband.
Jean's childhood passed in the town of Chateau-Thierry in the family mansion, bought by his parents back in 1617 immediately after the wedding. Little information about the years of study has been preserved. It is known that at first Jean de La Fontaine studied at a prestigious local college, and then was sent by his parents to Paris. There he entered the oratorian brotherhood to prepare for the clergy. However, he soon abandoned a career in the religious field and in 1642 returned to his hometown.
After the death of his mother in 1644, Jean de La Fontaine decided to continue his studies in Paris. He begins to study law with François de Mocroix. In addition, he attends the "Knights of the Round Table" circle of young poets, where he meets other young talents.
In 1647, his father convinces 26-year-old La Fontaine to marry 14-year-old Marie Ericard. The bride's dowry is thirty thousand livres in money and twelve thousand livres in real estate. The marriage was registered on November 10, 1647. However, the newly-made spouse took his family responsibilities very lightly and soon left for Paris again. In 1649 he received a law degree and a position at the Supreme Court of Paris, and three years later he took a leading position in the forestry of the Duchy of Château-Thierry.
In 1653, born The only son Jean de La Fontaine - Charles. However, the poet pays more attention to poetry than to his own child. He spends a lot of time reading, composes his own poems, epigrams and ballads. La Fontaine began to write late - at thirty-three years old.
After the death of his father in 1658, Jean de La Fontaine inherited low-income positions, some property and numerous debts. Registration of inheritance turns out to be a very difficult enterprise, and the spouses, by mutual agreement, decide to give up the paternal property. Considerable debts and modest incomes from the positions acquired force the poet to look for a patron.
In 1658, a close friend of the La Fontaine couple and the uncle of the poet's wife introduces Jean to the superintendent of finance, Nicolas Fouquet, who takes the poet under his patronage and assigns him a salary. Jean de La Fontaine, for his part, undertakes to write for him ballads, sonnets and poems.
La Fontaine lives with his wife in Paris, then in Chateau-Thierry, where, in particular, he acts as the chief forester and manager of the royal hunt. Also, the poet often visits the Foucault palace, where he struck up friendly relations with Charles Perrault, Saint-Evremont and Madeleine de Scudery.
In 1661, King Louis arrested Fouquet, accusing him of numerous abuses, waste and intrigues. La Fontaine remains loyal to his patron. He tries to tune public opinion in favor of Fouquet and publishes "Elegy to the Nymphs of Vaud."
In 1663 Lafontaine was forced to go to Limousin. During this trip, he writes "The Story of a Journey from Paris to Limousin" or "Letters to His Wife" in verse and prose.
Returning to Château-Thierry by the end of 1663, La Fontaine begins to court the young Marie Anne Mancini, married to the Duke of Bouillon a year earlier, and receives her patronage.
At the same time, ill-wishers are initiating a lawsuit against La Fontaine for "misappropriation of a noble rank." The poet is sentenced to an unbearable fine, in addition, he faces prison. His savior becomes the Duke of Bouillon, to whom the poet addresses with a tearful message in verse. Satisfied, La Fontaine departs for Paris, where he enters the service at the palace of the Duchess of Orleans as a steward. In the capital, Lafontaine becomes a regular at several literary salons, where he is successful. There he communicates with many famous writers of his time. He tries in vain to get the royal salary.
Mid-1660s marked the beginning of the most fruitful period in the work of La Fontaine. The first work in a series of stories and short stories in verse is "Giocondo" (1664), based on the knightly poem "Furious Roland" by Ariosto. This interpretation of the classic provokes a lively literary controversy. A year later, the Barbena publishing house published two collections of frivolous stories and short stories, and in 1666 the printing of the translation of "On the City of God" by Augustine Aurelius was completed, where poetry fragments were translated into French Jean de La Fontaine.
In an effort to earn forgiveness for his frivolous writing, La Fontaine publishes his first collection of fables, entitled "Fables of Aesop, transcribed into verses by M. de La Fontaine." This instructive essay is dedicated to the eight-year-old heir to the throne.
In 1669 La Fontaine publishes the novel The Love of Psyche and Cupid and dedicates it to the Duchess of Bouillon. In the same year, the poem "Adonis", written back in 1658 for Fouquet, was published. In 1670 La Fontaine actively participated in the creation of the "Collection of Christian and Other Poetry." La Fontaine publishes the third collection of Stories and Novels in Verse. Another collection published this year is entitled "New Fables and Other Poetry". It includes stories, fables, poems of the Fouquet period and elegies.
In 1671, the poet was deprived of his posts at the Château-Thierry, and a year later, due to the death of the Duchess of Orleans, he lost his position at the palace. Left without a patroness, La Fontaine accepts the invitation to move to the house of Marguerite de Sablere, who lives separately from her husband.
In the years 1674-1675. the poet publishes The New Tales of Monsieur de La Fontaine, which are even more frivolous and piquant in their content. The next year, the book was banned for sale. Only with the support of powerful friends La Fontaine manages to avoid the big troubles associated with these stories.
In 1676, La Fontaine sold his parents' house, which allows him to pay off his debts. In the years 1678-1679. several more volumes of fables are published. La Fontaine dedicates them to the king's mistress Madame de Montespan in the hope of winning her favor. Fables become popular, and the poet's talent is widely recognized.
In 1684 La Fontaine was officially admitted to the French Academy.
In mid-December 1692 La Fontaine fell seriously ill and did not get out of bed for several months. He is completely discouraged, especially when he learns of the death of the precious patroness of Madame de Sablere. La Fontaine is losing his taste for life and worldly pleasures. During his illness, Lafontaine reads a lot. Recalling his fascination with theology in his youth, he takes up the Gospels and re-reads them many times.
February 12, 1693 La Fontaine expresses remorse for his stories in the face of a delegation from the Academy, specially arrived to him. On the advice of the abbot, La Fontaine destroys the just finished composition, promises to live the rest of his life in prayer and piety and from now on write only religious compositions.
In September 1693, the 12th book of fables was published. The poet dedicates it to the young Duke of Burgundy, grandson of Louis XIV.
Some time after the death of Madame de Sablere, La Fontaine accepts an invitation from old friends, the couple d'Ervars, whom he met while still in Fouquet's service, and moves in with them. The last year of La Fontaine's life is full of events: he often goes to the Academy, where his authority is steadily growing, and the poet also actively participates in the preparation of the first edition of the Dictionary of the French Academy, published in August 1694.
QUOTES
How many times have they told the world
That flattery is vile, harmful; but everything is not for the future,
And a flatterer will always find a corner in his heart.
"A Crow and a fox"
There is a seniority in the creation of arts:
Greece has all rights to the fable.
But let there be plenty of ears of corn on that field
There is still something for the collectors to share.
"The Miller, His Son and the Donkey"
There is no secret for a woman's chatter,
There is no woman so that she does not blab out secrets.
But, however, there are many men,
That this is akin to a woman.
"Women and the Secret"
Such is the harsh law of fate,
He sends us a warning;
Who weaves coats for others,
He often gets into them himself!
"The Frog and the Rat"
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The beginning of literary activity
Jean de La Fontaine was born on July 8, 1621 in the small town of Chateau-Thierry (France), in the family of a provincial official. From childhood, La Fontaine had a rebellious and impudent character. His father served as the royal forester, and La Fontaine spent his childhood among forests and fields. Then his father sent him to study law at the Parisian seminary "Oratuire", but young Jean was fond of mostly philosophy and poetry.
Returning to his father's estate in Champagne, he married 14-year-old Marie Ericard at the age of 26. The marriage was not the most successful, and La Fontaine, disdaining family responsibilities, went to Paris in 1647 with the intention of completely devoting himself to literary activity, where he lived his whole life among friends, admirers and admirers of his talent; he completely forgot about his family, for years without seeing his wife, from time to time he wrote letters to her. Meanwhile, from his correspondence with his wife, it becomes clear that he made her the confidant of his many romantic adventures, without hiding anything from her. It is not easy to guess what poor Marie felt at the same time. Only occasionally, at the insistence of friends, did I go home for a short time. He paid so little attention to his children that, having met in the same house with his adult son, he did not recognize him.
An epigram on the bond of marriage
Marry? How not so! What's more painful than marriage?
Trade the blessings of a free life for slavery!
The second married was surely a fool,
And the first - what to say? - was just a poor fellow.
They tell such an anecdote. One day, the wife went into his office and found her husband sobbing over the manuscript. When asked about the cause of the grief, the husband in an interrupted voice read a chapter from the story in which the hero cannot connect with his beloved. La Fontaine's wife also wept and began to ask:
- Make it so that they are still together!
- I can't, - answered the husband, - I am writing only the first volume.
La Fontaine led an active social life, indulging in entertainment and love intrigues, continuing to receive income from the hereditary position of "keeper of waters and forests", which he lost in 1674 by order of Minister Colbert.
In Paris, the young poet came to court, becoming close to a circle of young writers who called themselves "Knights of the Round Table" and considered the highest authority of Jean Chaplein, one of the founders of the classicist doctrine. Under the influence of friends, he translated Terence's comedy "The Eunuch" (1654). His interest in theater remained throughout his life, but he found his true vocation in small poetic genres. His fairy tales and fables, filled with vivid images, enjoyed continued success. La Fontaine's fables are remarkable for their diversity, rhythmic perfection, and deep realism. Subsequently, some of La Fontaine's fables were talentedly translated into Russian by I.A.Krylov.
In 1658 he managed to find a patron in the person of the Minister of Finance Fouquet, to whom the poet dedicated several poems - including the poem "Adonis" (1658), written under the influence of Ovid, Virgil and, possibly, Marino, and the famous "Elegy to the Nymphs in Vaud" (1662), and who appointed the poet a large pension. After becoming for a time the "official" poet of Fouquet, La Fontaine set about describing the palace in Vaux-le-Vicomte that belonged to the minister.
Since it was necessary to describe the still unfinished architectural and park ensemble, La Fontaine built his poem in the form of a dream (Songe de Vaux). However, due to Fouquet's disgrace, work on the book was interrupted. After the fall of Fouquet, La Fontaine, unlike many, did not renounce the disgraced nobleman. In 1662, the poet allowed himself to intercede for his patron in an ode addressed to the king (l'Ode au Roi), as well as in "Elegies to the nymphs of Vaux" (L "elégie aux nymphes de Vaux). the wrath of Colbert and the king, for which he had to go into short-term exile in 1663. Upon his return to Paris, he won the favor of the Duchess of Bouillon, the mistress of the salon, where aristocrats who were opposed to the court gathered, then, when the latter died, and he left her house, he met his friend d'Hervart, who invited him to stay with him. "I was just going there," said the fabulist's naive answer.
The version that in 1659-1665 La Fontaine maintained friendly relations with Moliere, Boileau and Racine looks doubtful. Among La Fontaine's friends were definitely the Prince of Condé, La Rochefoucauld, Madame de Lafayette, and others; only he did not have access to the royal court, since Louis XIV he did not like the frivolous poet, who did not recognize any duties. This slowed down La Fontaine's election to the French Academy, of which he became a member only in 1684. In the course of the "dispute about the ancients and the new," La Fontaine, not without hesitation, took the side of the former.
Publication of the first collection
In 1665 La Fontaine published his first collection of Stories in Verse, and then Tales and Stories in Verse. "Fairy Tales" began to appear in 1664. The first collection includes two fairy tales - "Joconde" (Joconde) and "Beaten and contented cuckold"; the first of them, based on one of the episodes of Ariosto's poem "Furious Roland", caused a lively literary controversy. Subsequent editions of Fairy Tales were published in 1665, 1671 and 1674. La Fontaine drew their plots from Boccaccio, a collection of "One Hundred New Novels" and from ancient writers. In La Fontaine's presentation, the most important feature of the genre was to be stylistic and plot diversity. The graceful playfulness and mannered frankness of these short stories sounded like a kind of protest against the hypocrisy that had become established in the court environment. Of all the tales, the most frivolous were the New Tales, which provoked numerous accusations of obscenity. This displeased Louis XIV: the publication of "Fairy Tales" in France was banned, and the poet himself was harassed.
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| illustrations for the story "Love of Psyche and Cupid" |
"Fables"
Someone once said about La Fontaine's fables "This is a basket of beautiful cherries: if you want to choose the best one, the basket will end up empty."
The fabulist himself said that you can get used to everything in the world, even to life.
“Sinners, whose fate everyone mourns, sooner or later get used to it and begin to feel like a fish in water in hell,” he said.
More flies drown in honey than in vinegar.
It is doubly pleasant to deceive a deceiver.
Bring me out, my friend, first from the difficulty, and then you will read the morality.
Most notable people are theatrical masks.
Of our enemies, we are often to be feared most of all the smallest.
From a distance - something, close - nothing.
True greatness is self-control.
Every flatterer lives off the one who listens to him.
Love, love, when you take possession of us, you can say: forgive, prudence!
We meet our destiny on the path we choose to get away from it.
On the wings of time, sorrow is carried away.
There is nothing more dangerous than an ignorant friend.
A path strewn with flowers never leads to glory.
Hiding anything from friends is dangerous; but it is even more dangerous not to hide anything from them.
Patience and time provide more than strength or passion.
The significance of La Fontaine for the history of literature lies in the fact that he created a new genre, borrowing the external plot from the ancient authors (primarily Aesop and Phaedrus; in addition, La Fontaine drew from the Panchatantra and some Italian and Latin Renaissance authors). Remaining until 1672 under the patronage of the Duchess of Bouillon and wanting to please her, La Fontaine began to write "Fables", which he called "a lengthy stoic comedy staged on the world stage." In 1668, the first six books of fables appeared, under the modest title: Fables d'Esope, mises en vers par M. de La Fontaine. It was the first collection that included the famous "The Crow and the Fox" (more precisely, "The Crow and the Fox", Le Corbeau et le Renard) and "The Dragonfly and the Ant" (more precisely, "The Cicada and the Ant", La Cigale et la Fourmi). The second edition, which already included eleven books, was published in 1678, and the third, with the inclusion of the twelfth and last book, at the end of 1693. The first two books are more didactic in nature; in the rest, La Fontaine is becoming more and more free, combining didactics with the transmission of personal feelings.
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| Madame de la Sablière |
La Fontaine's "Fables" are distinguished by striking variety, rhythmic perfection, skillful use of archaisms, a sober view of the world and vivid imagery. Like other fabulists, the poet often used personifications, while relying on national tradition. So, already in the medieval "Novel about the Fox" the wolf embodied the greedy and eternally hungry knight, the lion was the head of state, the fox was the most cunning and nosy among the inhabitants of the animal kingdom. In one of his most famous fables - "Plague of Animals" - La Fontaine, with the help of personification, created a panorama of the whole society: animals confess their sins in order to choose the most guilty and bring him as an atoning sacrifice to the gods. The lion, tiger, bear and other predators confess to bloodshed, violence, treachery, but the donkey, guilty of stealing a bundle of grass from the monastery field, has to bear the punishment for everyone. Another means of generalization, the poet considered allegory: in the programmed fable-treatise "The Stomach and Organs of the Body" he likens royalty stomach - a voracious, but necessary for a normal life of the body, and in the fable "The Woodcutter and Death" shows a peasant who, exhausted under the unbearable burden of taxes, corvee and soldiers' quarters, nevertheless refuses "liberation", for a person prefers any suffering to death. Particularly noteworthy is the attitude of La Fontaine to "morality", which is such a natural conclusion from the depicted situation that it is often put into the mouth of one of the characters. The poet himself argued that a fable should educate only by introducing the reader to the world. The rejection of edification is in clear contrast with the instructive nature of the fable, which has been considered an integral feature of the genre since the time of Aesop. A hundred years later, Jean Jacques Rousseau, having caught this deep "immoralism", rebelled against the fact that La Fontaine's fables were given to children to read, for whom, however, they were never intended.
In 1732, Pierre Huber Sübleira (1699 - 1749), a famous French painter and portrait painter, wrote the painting "The Packed Saddle" based on La Fontaine's fable about how the donkey kept female fidelity. The hero of the fable is an artist who was insanely jealous of his wife. Every time, even leaving home for a short time, he drew a donkey in an intimate place with his wife, naively believing that the picture would certainly be erased during love games if the faithful decided to cheat on him. And therefore, fearing exposure, he will probably try to remain faithful until his arrival. However, another artist turned out to be a lucky rival. And, although the image of the donkey was erased, but the lover before that managed to carefully copy it onto a sheet of paper. But, redrawing the donkey back onto the body, he could not resist not to load the saddle on it. Well, you understand with what hint ("dear friend, I loaded your ox").
An unsolvable problem
Having achieved the favor of one lady, Duke Philip the Good was so captivated by her golden hair that he founded the Order of the Golden Fleece in their honor.
(From an old chronicle)
One is not so much evil, how the blackness is
Big joker, hunter of miracles,
He helped the lover with advice.
The next day he owned his object of love.
According to a contract with a demon, our hero
Love is a captivating game
I could enjoy myself to the full.
The demon said: "The obstinate girl
Can't resist, you can trust me.
But know: in return for Satan
You will not serve me, as usual,
And I’m for you. You give me instructions
I do it myself
All orders and immediately
I'm behind others. But we have
The condition with you is one for each time:
You have to speak quickly and directly,
Otherwise, goodbye, your pretty lady.
Delay - and not see her
Not your body, not your soul.
Then Satan takes them by right,
And Satan will beat them up to glory. "
Having figured this and that, my breath
Gives consent. Ordering is not a thing
Obey is where the torment is!
Their agreement has been signed. Our hero
In a hurry to his beloved and without hindrance
With her he plunges into love joys,
Ascends in bliss to heaven,
But here's the trouble: the damned demon
Always sticks out over their bed.
He is given one task after another:
Change the July sweltering blizzard
Build a palace, erect a bridge over the river.
The devil will only shuffle his foot away
And immediately returns with a bow.
Our cavalier lost count of doubloons,
Flowing into his pocket.
He began to drive the demon with a knapsack to the Vatican
For absolution of sins, great and small.
And how much the demon dragged them!
No matter how difficult or long the path is,
He did not bother the demon at all.
And now my gentleman is already in confusion,
He drained the imagination
He feels like his brain
Will not invent anything else.
Chu! .. something creaked ... Damn it? And in fright
He's talking to a friend
He tells her what happened, everything in full.
"How, just that? - she answered him. -
Well, we'll stave off the threat,
Pull the thorn out of the heart.
You tell him when he comes again,
Let it straighten this here.
Let's see how the devil's work goes. "
And the lady pulls out something,
Barely noticeable, from the maze of fairies,
From the secret sanctuary of Cyprias, -
That with which the ruler of the past was so captivated,
As they say, well-worn,
That this funny thing has knighted
And the Order established, whose rules are so strict,
That only gods are worthy in its ranks.
The lover to the devil and says: "On, take,
You see, this thing curls.
Spread it out and quarrel
Yes, just livelier, come on! "
The demon laughed, jumped up and disappeared.
He slipped the thing under the pressure press.
It was not so! Took a blacksmith's hammer
Soaked in brine all day
Steamed, dried and put in lye and malt,
I put it in the sun, and then in the shade:
I have tasted both heat and cold.
Don `t move! Cursed thread
You can’t unbend it either way.
The demon almost cries at last -
Can't straighten hair!
On the contrary: the longer it beats,
The steeper the curl curls.
"But what could it be? -
The stag wheezes, sitting down tiredly on the stump. -
I have never seen such material in my life,
There is no help here with all the Latin! "
And he comes to his lover that very night.
"Ready to leave you alone,
I am defeated and I admit it.
Take your little thing
Just tell me: what is it? "
And he answered: "You surrender, Satan!
You lost your hunt quickly!
And I could give all the demons a job,
We have not only one thing! "
           |
| ill. Umberto Brunelleschi to La Fontaine's Fables |
In 1688, Marguerite de Sablere retired to an almshouse, which gave shelter to incurable patients. However, she still provides accommodation for La Fontaine. The poet becomes close to Prince François-Louis de Bourbon-Conti. For some time, Lafontaine meets with the scandalous Mrs. Ulrich.
The staging of La Fontaine's opera L Astree to music by Colassus failed in 1691. In mid-December 1692, La Fontaine fell seriously ill and did not get out of bed for several months. Sablier La Fontaine loses her taste for life and worldly pleasures Marguerite de Sabler dies on January 8, 1693.
Message from Madame de la Sablière
Now that I'm old and the muse is following me
Is about to step over the border of the earth,
And my mind - my torch - will extinguish the deaf night,
Is it possible to lose days, grieving and sighing,
And complain for the rest of my time
That I lost everything I could own.
Kohl Heaven will keep at least a spark for the poet
The fire with which he shone in the old years,
He must use it, remembering that
That a golden sunset is a road into the night, into Nothing.
Years run, run, no strength, no prayer,
No sacrifices, no fasting - nothing will give you an extension.
We're greedy for anything that can entertain us
And who is as wise as you to neglect this?
And if there is someone, I'm not of that breed!
I avoid solid joys from nature
And I have abused the best of goods.
Conversation about nothing, an intricate trifle,
Novels and games, a plague of different republics,
Where is the strongest mind, stumbling on temptations,
Let's trample all laws and all rights, -
In short, in those passions that only fools match,
I squandered my youth and life carelessly.
There are no words, any evil will inevitably recede,
A person will give himself up a little to genuine blessings.
But I wasted a century for false goods.
And are there few of us like that? We are glad to make an idol
From money, honor, from sensual delight.
Tantalum old, we are only a forbidden fruit
From the beginning of our days to the end it attracts.
But now you are old, and passions beyond your years,
And every day and hour he repeats this to you,
And you got drunk for the last time, if you could,
But how to predict your last threshold?
It is small, the remainder of the term, although it would have lasted for years!
If I were wise (but the mercies of nature
Not enough for everyone), alas, Iris, alas!
Oh, if I could be reasonable to be like you,
I would use your lessons in part.
In full - no way! But it would be great
Make some kind of plan, not difficult, to get out of the way
It was not a crime to get off on occasion.
Ah, beyond my strength - do not be mistaken at all!
But throw yourself for every bait,
Run, be zealous - no, I'm fed up with all this!
"It's time, it's time to finish! - everyone says to me. -
You carried twelve five years on yourself,
And three times twenty years that you have spent in the world,
We didn't see you live in peace for an hour.
But everyone will see, having seen you at least once,
Your disposition is changeable and lightness is a pleasure.
Soul in everything you are a guest and a guest only for a moment,
In love, in poetry, in business - all the same.
We will tell all of you about this only one thing:
You can change a lot - in manner, genre, style.
In the morning you are Terence, and in the evening Virgil,
But you didn’t give anything perfect.
So take a new path, try it too.
Call all nine muses, dare, torture any!
If you break down, it doesn't matter, there will be another case.
Do not touch only short stories - how good they were! "
And I'm ready, Iris, I confess from the bottom of my heart,
Advice to follow - smart, you can not be smarter!
You wouldn't say better or stronger.
Or maybe this is your, yes, your advice again?
I’m ready to admit that I - well, how can I tell you? -
Parnassian moth, a bee, which properties
Plato tried it on for our device.
Creation is light, I flutter for many years
I'm on a flower from a flower, from object to object.
Not much glory in that, but much enjoyment.
To the Temple of Remembrance - who knows? - and I would have entered as a genius,
If I would play one, I would not pluck the other strings.
But where am I! I'm in poetry, like in love, a flyer
And I'm painting my portrait without a false background:
I do not try to cover up my vices with my recognition.
I just want to say, without any "ah!" yes "oh!"
Why is my temperament good and how bad it is.
As soon as the mind illuminated my life and soul,
I flared up, I recognized the attraction to pranks,
And not one captivating passion ever since
I, as a tyrant, imposed its power.
No wonder, they say, a slave to idle desires
All my life, like youth, I have ruined in temptations.
Why am I polishing every syllable and verse here?
Perhaps, to nothing: perhaps they will be praised?
After all, I am powerless to follow their advice.
Who begins to live, having already seen Leta?
And I did not live: I was a servant of two despots,
And the first is idle noise, Cupid is another tyrant.
What does it mean to live, Iris? You are not new to teach.
I can even hear you, your answer is ready.
Live for the highest blessings, they lead to good.
Use only for them both your leisure and work,
Honor the almighty, as grandfathers revered,
Take care of your soul, from all Filid submitted,
Drive the intoxication of love, powerless vows of the word -
That hydra that is always alive in people's hearts.
During his illness, Lafontaine reads a lot. Recalling his fascination with theology in his youth, he takes up the Gospels and re-reads them many times. Imbued with divine truths, he asks to meet with the priest. A young Abbot Pouget visits him, and they talk about faith and religion for almost two weeks in a row. La Fontaine is haunted by the question of the existence of heaven and hell. The author of frivolous stories ponders whether he is facing eternal punishment and whether he can be considered a sinner. Having learned about the poet's fears, Puget makes every effort to persuade him to publicly renounce his "wicked" stories ("fairy tales"). February 12, 1693 La Fontaine expresses remorse for his stories in the face of a delegation from the Academy, specially arrived to him. On the advice of the abbot, La Fontaine destroys the just finished composition, promises to live the rest of his life in prayer and piety and from now on write only religious compositions.
By May, the illness has receded, and Lafontaine can again attend the meetings of the Academy. He keeps the promise given to the abbot and translates from the Latin the poem "The Day of Judgment" (its author is considered to be the Italian Tommaso da Celano). The text of the translation will be read out at the ceremonial meeting of the Academy on the occasion of the election of de La Bruyère. The poet's light and graceful style leaves a pleasant impression, despite the fact that its plot is not as cheerful as in "Giocondo" or "Beaten and contented cuckold." In September 1693, the 12th book of fables was published. The poet dedicates it to the young Duke of Burgundy, grandson of Louis XIV.
Some time after the death of Madame de Sablere, the sad and sick La Fontaine accepts the invitation (1694) of old friends, the couple d'Ervars, whom he met while still in Fouquet's service, and moves in with them. D'Ervar Lafontaine did not live in the house for a year, but this last year of his life was full of events. He often goes to the Academy, where his authority is steadily growing. The poet actively participates in the preparation of the first edition of the Dictionary of the French Academy, published in August 1694. La Fontaine even finds time to go to visit his wife at Château-Thierry. This is their last meeting ...
The disease again makes itself felt at the beginning of 1695. One February evening, on the way from the Academy, La Fontaine became ill. Returning home, he writes a sad letter to his faithful friend Mokrua. Mokrua, as best he can, supports him and tries to cheer him up: "If God wishes to restore your health, I hope you will come to spend the rest of your days with me and we will often talk about God's mercy." La Fontaine died on April 13, 1695 at the seventy-fourth year of life. During the preparations for the funeral ceremony, it was discovered that the poet's body was tortured by a hair shirt, which he, no doubt, had worn for a long time. La Fontaine was buried in the Saint-Innosan cemetery.
Thanks to La Fontaine, the literary genre of fable greatly expands its creative possibilities. All subsequent fabulists, including the Russian poets of the XVIII - early XIX century. Sumarokov, Chemnitser, Izmailov, Dmitriev, and even the famous Krylov studied with La Fontaine. The folk content of fables unites these two authors who worked in different time and won, thanks to their creativity, world fame. Pushkin himself admired La Fontaine's Fairy Tales, considering them the pinnacle of the achievements of humorous Western European poetry.
The history of the fountain "Girl with a jug"
In 1808-1810, Alexander I gave the order to start landscaping the site where Katalnaya Gora used to be. The work was supervised by the gardener I. Bush and the architect L. Ruska. Between the Big Pond and the Granite Terrace there was a slope, which was shaped as green ledges, paths were laid, and the mouth of the side channel was turned into a fountain (designed by engineer A. Betancourt). At that moment, the idea arose to decorate this territory of the park with sculptures. But the figure of the "Milkmaid" appeared here only in the summer of 1816. The statue was made by the famous sculptor P.P.Sokolov at that time. The source of the plot was La Fontaine's fable "The Milkmaid, or a Jug of Milk."
Dressed comfortably and lightly,
Putting a jug on your head with milk,
In a short skirt, almost barefoot,
I was in a hurry to the city to the Peretta bazaar.
Inspiring yourself with a cheerful dream,
The young woman decided
What the supplier will be for the money:
“Then I'll buy eggs and raise chickens,
At the house, in the yard, I will feed them perfectly,
The fox will try to climb up to them in vain;
I thought it over cunningly, cleverly and subtly;
Selling chickens, of course, I'll buy a pig,
Raising a pig will cost a penny
After all, my piglet is both large and good,
And I will get a lot of money for it.
I wish I knew what would stop me
Do not load your wallet in vain,
And choose a cow and a bull in the city,
I will have a worthy reward for my labors
Watch how they jump in the midst of the herd. "
Then she jumped so high herself,
That, having dropped the jug, she poured the milk.
New losses were added to it:
A goby, a pig, a cow and chickens died.
With despair, full of longing
She looks at the shards
On the milk of the ruined puddle,
Afraid to face an angry husband.
All this resulted in a fable later.
Under the name "Jug of Milk".
Who thought only about pressing matters,
Not building castles on the land of the air?
Dreamers are everywhere and everywhere darkness,
Some are foolish, others are crazy.
Everyone is daydreaming; dreaming is gratifying for us:
Sweet deception lifts us to heaven.
Our dreams have no limit and end:
For us, all the honors, all women's hearts!
I'm alone, like everyone else, I dream
I send a challenge to the bravest,
In my dreams I am already the king, beloved by the peoples,
I take all new crowns, invincible, -
As long as life with a ruthless hand
It will not wake me up by restoring my form.
Translation by B. V. Kakhovsky
Pushkin and Lafontaine
In the poem "Gorodok", speaking about his favorite books, Pushkin in a joking tone writes about the French writer. La Fontaine for him is, first of all, the author of fables, which were included in the curriculum of lyceum education. The perception of La Fontaine through the prism of Rococo poetry is also noticeable here:
And you, dear singer,
Poetry lovely
Has drawn hearts into captivity
You are here, careless lazy person,
The simple-hearted sage,
Vanyusha Lafontaine!
Krylov and Lafontaine
In 1805, young I. A. Krylov showed his translation of two La Fontaine's fables: "The Oak and the Cane" (Le Chene et le Roseau) and "The Legible Bride" (La Fille) to the famous poet I. I. Dmitriev, who approved his work ... In January 1806, the fables were published in the first issue of the Moscow Spectator magazine; this is how the path of Krylov the fabulist began. The outstanding Russian philologist Sergei Averintsev devoted one of his last reports to the problem of adapting the plots of La Fontaine's fables by Ivan Andreevich Krylov.
La Fontaine's fables in the novel by M.A. Bulgakov's "The Master and Margarita"
According to the horoscope, M. Bulgakov probably deliberately decorated his novel with allusions to La Fontaine's fable “The Cat Turned into a Woman”: “Drive nature through the door - she will fly through the window!” (trans. N. Karamzin). Margarita now "scratches quietly", now "thinks what kind of windows Latunsky's apartment" in order to fly into them. The motive of the witch cat used by N. Gogol ("May Night", 1831) was also close to A. Druzhinin ("cat manners" by Polinka Sachs (1847). "And I want to go to the basement" (Ch. 24), - declares Master.
The poet Ryukhin (Chapter 6) “warmed a snake on his chest” (La Fontaine, “Le villageois et le serpent”), and Professor Kuzmin (Chapter 18) sees “an orphan black kitten” (“Do you love a cat? he is an orphan "- A. Izmailov." Black Cat ", 1824). In I. Krylov's fable "The Pike and the Cat" "the master's work is afraid", and his "Demyan's ear" is stylized in the "Griboyedov's" conversation between the writers Ambrose and Foka (Chapter 5).
The opposition of the head and legs (Berlioz), head and entrails (bartender Variety), along with the keyword "members of MASSOLIT", can be perceived as a reminder of the vocabulary of A. Sumarokov in his translation of La Fontaine's fable "Les membres et l" estomac ":
A member of a member in the community helps ...
All the members and the mindless head itself
Rest in a coffin
("Head and Members", 1762).
In "The Dream of Nikanor Ivanovich" (Ch. 15) the artist-investigator's phrase sounds: "These are La Fontaine's fables I have to listen to." After all, they can throw up “a child, an anonymous letter, a proclamation, a hellish machine ...”, but not currency. The arguments in favor of giving up money remind of I. Krylov's fable "The Miser" (1825):
Drink, eat and be merry
And spend them without fear!
It is the presence of fable sources that explains the inaccurate presentation of the entertainer of The Covetous Knight: the baron allegedly died "from a blow on his chest with currency and stones." I. Krylov:
Miser with a key in his hand
I died of hunger on the chest -
And all the gold pieces are safe.
The idyllic-apocalyptic "fairy tale" of La Fontaine "Philemon and Bavkis" translated by I. Dmitriev (1805), in our opinion, influenced the depiction of the fate of the Master and Margarita (Jupiter - Woland):
"Couple! follow me, ”said the father of fate. -
Now the judgment will take place: to your homeland
All the wrath of my phial I will pour out ...
Death overnight is a blessing for the heroes of M. Bulgakov. I. Dmitriev:
Oh, if only the genius of the death of us
He touched both at the same hour.
La Fontaine's story "The Love of Psyche and Cupid" permeates Bulgakov's novel: it has its own walk of writers in Versailles (along the avenues of the Patriarch's Ponds), and the theme of light and darkness, and the adventures of a woman in the transcendental world, and even a unique sunset at the end. At La Fontaine, Acant (Racine) invites friends to admire the falling asleep nature: "Acantus was given the opportunity to slowly enjoy the last beauties of the day." For M. Bulgakov: “A group of horsemen waited for the master in silence” (Ch. 31). Comparison of these two masterpieces is the theme of a special work also because the question arises about "Darling" (1783) by I. Bogdanovich. For example, Margarita's pose on the window (Ch. 20), when she “made a pensive and poetic face,” teasing the “hog,” no longer parodies La Fontaine, but L. Tolstoy, who experienced his undoubted influence (“War and Peace,” vol. 2 , ch. 3, ch. III): “Darling, darling, come here. Well, see? "
A "chain" of people, engulfed in laughter or grief, about which, paraphrasing Plato, the heroes of La Fontaine speak, appears in A. Chekhov (The Student, 1894): "And it seemed to him that he had just seen both ends of this chain: he touched to one end, as the other trembled. " In The Master and Margarita, thanks to the cries of Nikanor Ivanovich (a “connoisseur” of fables), “the alarm was transmitted to the 120th room, where the patient woke up and began to look for his head, and to the 118th, where the unknown master became worried and in anguish hands, looking at the moon ... From room 118, the alarm flew over the balcony to Ivan, and he woke up and began to cry ”(Ch. 15).
Jean de La Fontaine (fr. Jean de La Fontaine). Born on July 8, 1621 at Chateau-Thierry - died on April 13, 1695 in Paris. The famous French fabulist.
His father served in the forestry department, and Lafontaine spent his childhood among forests and fields. At twenty, he entered the oratorian brotherhood to prepare for the clergy, but was more involved in philosophy and poetry. By his own admission, he was fond of D'Urfe's Astrea. It was the libretto of Colassus's opera Astrea that turned out to be La Fontaine's last work (the 1691 production was a complete failure).
In 1647, La Fontaine's father handed over his position to him and persuaded him to marry a fourteen-year-old girl, Marie Ericard. He very easily reacted to his new duties, both official and family, and soon left for Paris, where he lived all his life among friends, admirers and admirers of his talent; he forgot about his family for whole years and only occasionally, at the insistence of his friends, went to his homeland for a short time.
Preserved his correspondence with his wife, whom he made the attorney of his many romantic adventures. He paid so little attention to his children that, meeting in the same house with his adult son, he did not recognize him. In Paris, La Fontaine was a brilliant success; Fouquet gave him a large pension. He lived in Paris first with the Duchess of Bouillon, then when the latter died and he left her house, he met his friend d'Hervart, who invited him to live with him. “I was just going there,” read the fabulist's naive answer.
The version that in 1659-1665 La Fontaine maintained friendly relations with Boileau and Racine looks doubtful. Among La Fontaine's friends were definitely the Prince of Condé, Madame de Lafayette, and others; only he did not have access to the royal court, since he did not like the frivolous poet, who did not recognize any duties. This slowed down La Fontaine's election to the French Academy, of which he became a member only in 1684. In the course of the "dispute about the ancients and the new," La Fontaine, not without hesitation, took the side of the former. Under the influence of Madame de Sablière, La Fontaine in the last years of his life was filled with piety and renounced his most frivolous writings.
La Fontaine's first published work was the comedy Eunuque (1654), which was a reworking of the eponymous work of Terence. In 1658, La Fontaine presented his patron Fouquet with the poem "Adonis", written under the influence of Ovid, Virgil and, possibly, Marino. After becoming for a time the "official" poet of Fouquet, La Fontaine set about describing the palace in Vaux-le-Vicomte that belonged to the minister. Since it was necessary to describe the still unfinished architectural and park ensemble, La Fontaine built his poem in the form of a dream (Songe de Vaux). However, due to Fouquet's disgrace, work on the book was interrupted. In 1662, the poet allowed himself to intercede for his patron in an ode addressed to the king (l'Ode au Roi), as well as in “Elegies to the nymphs of Vaux” (L'elégie aux nymphes de Vaux). By this act, he apparently incurred the wrath of Colbert and the king.
"Fairy Tales" began to appear in 1664. The first collection includes two fairy tales - "Joconde" (Joconde) and "Beaten and contented cuckold"; the first of them, based on one of the episodes of the poem "Furious Roland", caused a lively literary controversy. Subsequent editions of Fairy Tales were published in 1665, 1671 and 1674. La Fontaine drew their plots from the collection “One Hundred New Novels”. In La Fontaine's presentation, the most important feature of the genre was to be stylistic and plot diversity. Of all the tales, the most frivolous were New Tales, which provoked numerous accusations of obscenity and were immediately banned. Interestingly, at the same time as the fairy tales, La Fontaine worked on works of a pious nature, partly marked by the influence of Jansenism, including the Poem of the Capture of St. Malchus (Poème de la captivité de saint Malc, 1671).
The significance of La Fontaine for the history of literature lies in the fact that he created a new genre, borrowing the external plot from the ancient authors (primarily Aesop and Phaedrus; in addition, La Fontaine drew from the Panchatantra and some Italian and Latin Renaissance authors). In 1668, the first six books of fables appeared, under the modest title: Fables d'Esope, mises en vers par M. de La Fontaine. It was the first collection that included the famous, later transcribed "The Crow and the Fox" (more precisely, "The Crow and the Fox", Le Corbeau et le Renard) and "The Dragonfly and the Ant" (more precisely, "The Cicada and the Ant", La Cigale et la Fourmi) ...
The second edition, which already included eleven books, was published in 1678, and the third, with the inclusion of the twelfth and last book, at the end of 1693. The first two books are more didactic in nature; in the rest, La Fontaine is becoming more and more free, combining didactics with the transmission of personal feelings.
La Fontaine is least of all a moralist and, in any case, his morality is not lofty; he teaches a sober outlook on life, the ability to use circumstances and people, and constantly draws the triumph of the clever and cunning over the simple and kind; there is absolutely no sentimentality in him - his heroes are those who know how to arrange their destiny. Already Rousseau, and after him Lamartine, expressed doubt: how useful are La Fontaine's fables for children, do they not teach the reader to the inevitability of vice in a world that has not known pity? VA Zhukovsky spoke especially categorically on this score: “Don't look for his morality in fables - it doesn't exist!”. Sometimes the morality of "Basen" is compared with the precepts: the need for moderation and a wisely equanimous attitude to life.
The most famous fables of La Fontaine:
Wolf and Dog
Wolf and Heron
Wolf and lamb
Wolf, Goat and Kid
Wolf Shepherd
Raven and fox
Thieves and donkey
Dove and ant
Two Goats
Two donkeys
Two rats, an egg and a fox
Oak and Reed
Hare and turtle
Goat and fox
Horse and donkey
Kite and nightingale
Rabbit, Weasel and Cat
Grasshopper and ant
Merchant, nobleman, shepherd and royal son
Swan and chef
Lion and mosquito
Lion and Mouse
Fox and Goat
Fox and Heron
Fox and grapes
Horse and donkey
Love and madness
Frog and rat
The milkmaid and the jug
Sea and bee
Mouse turned into a girl
Nothing beyond measure
Monkey and dolphin
Monkey and cat
Monkey and leopard
Oracle and the atheist
Eagle and beetle
The farmer and the shoemaker
The shepherd and the lion
Shepherd and the sea
Spider and swallow
Rooster and pearl
Gout and spider
Field mouse visiting the city
Fish and cormorant
Teacher and pupil
Priest and deceased
The stingy and the chicken
Death and dying
Dog with master's lunch
Mouse board
Old man and three young
Fortune and boy
Hornets and bees
Schoolboy, mentor and garden owner
Jean de La Fontaine is a famous French writer who lived in the 17th century. One of the most famous European fable writers. His works in our country were translated by Krylov and Pushkin. Many such works are perceived as original creations of Russians by the author. This article will be devoted to the life, work and some works of the writer.
Biography (Jean de La Fontaine): early years
The writer was born on July 8, 1621 in the small French town of Chateau-Thierry. His father served in the forestry department, so La Fontaine spent his entire childhood in nature. Little is known about this period of his life.
At the age of 20, the future writer decides to receive a clergy title, for which he joins the oratorian brotherhood. However, he devotes more time to poetry and philosophy than to religion.
In 1647, his father decides to resign and hands it over to his son. The parent also chooses a bride for him - a 15-year-old girl who lives in the same city. La Fontaine reacted to his duties without due responsibility and soon left for Paris. He did not take his wife with him. In the capital, the writer lived his entire life, surrounded by friends and admirers. He did not think about his family for years and rarely came to his hometown to visit.
The correspondence between La Fontaine and his wife, who was the attorney of his love affairs, has been perfectly preserved. He practically did not know his children. It got to the point that, having met his son, the writer did not recognize him.
The capital favored La Fontaine. He was given a considerable pension, aristocrats patronized him, crowds of fans did not allow him to be bored. The writer himself managed to maintain independence. And even in laudatory poems, he remained mocking.
The first known to La Fontaine was brought by poems written in 1661. They were dedicated to Fouquet, a friend of the writer. In the work, La Fontaine stood up for the dignitary before the king.
Famous acquaintances
Jean de La Fontaine, despite the fact that he lived almost all his life in Paris, did not have his own apartment in the capital. At first he lived with the Duchess of Bouillon, who patronized him. Then for 20 years he rented a room in a hotel owned by Madame Sablière. When the latter died, the writer moved to a friend's house.
From 1659 to 1665, La Fontaine was a member of the "five friends" club, which included Moliere, Boileau, Chapelle and Racine. La Rochefoucauld was also among the writer's friends. The only place where the poet had no access was the royal palace, since Louis XIV hated a frivolous writer. This circumstance greatly slowed down the election of the poet to the academy, to which he was accepted only in 1684.
Last years and death
In the last years of his life, La Fontaine became a believer, thanks to the influence of Madame Seblière. However, frivolity and absent-mindedness never left him. In 1692, the writer falls seriously ill. This event greatly influenced La Fontaine's attitude to the world. He lost his taste for worldly joys and life. The writer turns to God even more, begins to reread the Gospel. La Fontaine is increasingly asking questions about life after death, the existence of hell and heaven. He is worried about the coming punishment.
Fable maker
Critics have long talked about the enormous influence Jean de Lafontaine had on literary history. The fables of the writer are indeed compared to the model of the new literary genre... The poet borrowed the external plot from the ancient authors (Aesop, Phaedra), but radically changed the style and content.
In 1668, six volumes of fables were published, bearing the name "Fables of Aesop, transcribed into verses by La Fontaine". It was in these books that the most famous works appeared, which were later transcribed in our country by Krylov.
The originality of the works
In his fables, Jean de La Fontaine pays the least attention to the moral side. In his works, he teaches to look at life soberly, to use people and circumstances. It is no coincidence that cunning and dexterity triumph in him, but kindness and simplicity lose. The poet has absolutely no sentimentality - only those who can control their own destiny win. In his fables, La Fontaine transferred to paper the whole world, all the creatures living in it and their relationships. The writer proves himself to be a connoisseur human nature and the mores of society. But he does not criticize all this, but finds touching and funny moments.
La Fontaine's fables were also popular because they had a figurative language, an extraordinary rhythmic pattern, and the beauty of poetic digressions.
Jean de La Fontaine, Fox and Grapes
The plot of the fable is simple: a hungry fox we pass by the vineyard. The cheat decides to feast on it. She climbs the fence, but cannot reach the cherished food in any way. Having rushed for some time, the fox jump to the ground and declares that he did not see a single ripe berry.
Finding out a case from life in this situation is quite easy. Often people who could not achieve their goal or get any thing say that their idea was useless, and the thing is not really needed.
Film about the writer
In 2007, a picture was released entitled "Jean de La Fontaine - a challenge to fate." The film was directed by French director Daniel Vinh. The script was written by Jacques Forge. The picture tells about the Parisian life of the writer. At this time, his noble patron Fouquet, on whom La Fontaine's future depended, was arrested. The poet throws all his strength to help him. He completely forgets about his family living in a remote province, writing is abandoned. La Fontaine turns to Boileau, Racine, Moliere for help, but there is little sense in this. The poet is saved by the Duchess of Beaulieu, whom he practically does not know. She helps the poet not only to deal with financial problems, but also to realize his vocation as a writer.
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