Jean de La Fontaine
Jean de La Fontaine – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes
Explore the life, work, and enduring legacy of French fabulist Jean de La Fontaine — the master of moral stories, his biography, influences, and his most memorable quotes.
Introduction
Jean de La Fontaine (8 July 1621 – 13 April 1695) is one of France’s most beloved poets and a towering figure in European literature. Best known for his Fables, he transformed a venerable tradition of moral storytelling into poetic art that still resonates today. His verses, charming and clever, blend wit, observation, psychological insight, and moral reflection.
La Fontaine’s importance lies not just in his wide popularity, but in his creation of a model for the modern fable—one that can instruct without moralizing overtly, that uses animals and allegory with psychological subtlety. His works have influenced generations of writers, philosophers, educators, and translators.
In this article, we will retrace his life, literary development, influences and style, then present his famous quotations and reflect on his lessons and legacy.
Early Life and Family
Jean de La Fontaine was born on 8 July 1621 in Château-Thierry, in the Champagne region of France. maître des eaux et forêts (a kind of deputy ranger or overseer of forests and waterways) in the Duchy of Château-Thierry.
Though his family was not aristocratic, they belonged to the higher strata of provincial bourgeois society: comfortable, cultured, and with connections.
In his youth, he was educated in his hometown (grammar school / collège) and showed early promise with letters.
His father evidently desired a more conventional path for him, possibly clerical or administrative, but La Fontaine’s own inclinations toward literature and poetry would eventually dominate.
Youth, Education, and Early Influences
In 1641, at age around 20, La Fontaine was sent to the Oratorian seminary and then to the seminary of Saint-Magloire, as though destined for a religious vocation.
Subsequently, he studied law, and is said to have qualified as an avocat (lawyer) or at least have been admitted to legal training.
In 1647, he married Marie Héricart, an heiress, which established some financial footing.
In 1652, La Fontaine inherited (or assumed) the post held by his father as inspector of forests and waterways (the eaux et forêts office) in his region, which provided an income and position.
He spent much of his life divided between his home region (Champagne / Château-Thierry) and Paris, where the literary life attracted him.
His early literary efforts included translations, adaptations, occasional poetry, epigrams, and smaller pieces—gradually preparing him for his larger poetic ambitions.
Around 1654 he published his adaptation of Eunuchus by Terence, one of his first significant works.
By the mid-1660s, La Fontaine was finding his literary voice, experimenting with Contes (tales) and developing his style of fables.
He also cultivated patrons in Paris, including the superintendent Nicolas Fouquet and noble patrons such as the Duchess of Bouillon, helping him secure financial support and literary connections.
There is a well-known circle (literary coterie) involving La Fontaine, Boileau, Molière, and Racine—discussing, publishing, critiquing—and fostering the classical French literary movement.
By the 1680s, he had accumulated enough reputation that he was admitted to the Académie Française (in 1684).
Late in life, around 1692, he underwent a religious conversion (or renewed piety), reportedly destroying a new play and submitting to stricter moral discipline.
He died on 13 April 1695 in Paris, at age 73.
Career, Works & Achievements
The Fables: Masterwork of His Career
La Fontaine’s greatest and most enduring contribution is his Fables (Les Fables), published in twelve books over the years 1668 to 1694. These fables draw on a wide range of sources:
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Classical sources such as Aesop and Horace in his early books.
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Later, he adapted Eastern, medieval, and contemporary sources—Indian fables, Oriental tales, etc.
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He freely reworked them: not slavishly translating, but adapting, embellishing, changing voice, injecting philosophical reflection, irony, humor, and poetic grace.
His Fables are poems in free verse (vers libres) with variable lengths—some short, some longer—allowing him flexibility of shape and pacing.
These works combine narrative simplicity (often animals in forest or farm settings) with psychological or moral insight. Readers can enjoy them as stories, while thinkers can dig deeper for moral, political, or philosophical reflections.
The fables cover themes such as: power and cruelty, cunning and folly, flattery, friendship and betrayal, prudence, time and change, human vices and virtues.
Because of their clarity, elegance, and moral resonance, the Fables became standard reading in French schools and have been translated into many languages globally.
Other Works: Tales, Poetry, Occasional Pieces
Beyond his Fables, La Fontaine also wrote Contes (tales / narrative poems), Tales and Novellas in Verse, occasional poetry, elegies, epigrams, translations, and adaptations. Contes are licentious or libertine in tone, drawing from Boccaccio and other sources.
He also wrote shorter poems, addressed patrons, composed madrigals, and worked in prose-poetry combinations.
His style is marked by elegance, economy, wit, clarity, musicality of verse, and rhetorical control—never overblown. He used simplicity to mask depth.
Recognition, Controversies & Later Life
Though beloved, La Fontaine was not free from controversy. Some critics decried his Contes as immoral or bawdy; certain factions of the court or conservative critics viewed his works as too licentious.
His association with Fouquet (later disgraced by Louis XIV) sometimes made him politically suspect.
His election to the Académie Française in 1684 was delayed and contested, partly because of his reputation for writing more risque material.
In his later years, his health waned, and he grew more pious, perhaps seeking moral redemption in his last works and attitudes.
Historical Context & Cultural Milestones
La Fontaine lived in the 17th century—an age of Classicism in French literature, with powerful figures like Molière, Racine, Boileau, and the patronage of Louis XIV. The literary norms of clarity, order, restraint, imitation of classical models, and moral purpose were dominant.
Yet La Fontaine found a niche in a less exploited form—the fable—where he could flex both poetic and moral muscle without the constraints of tragedy or epic.
His fables also reflect subtle social commentary—on power, hypocrisy, human weakness—without direct confrontation with authority. Allegory allowed criticism disguised.
His success contributed to elevating the fable as a serious literary genre, not merely for children or as moral primers, but as art.
La Fontaine also reflects the tensions of his era: between courtly patronage and independent voice, between moral expectation and libertine taste, between religious orthodoxy and poetic freedom.
His lifetime spans key moments: the consolidation of absolute monarchy in France (under Louis XIV), the role of patronage in literature, the institutionalization of French letters (Académie), and the growing prestige of French culture.
Legacy and Influence
Jean de La Fontaine remains a canonical figure in French letters. In France, his works are staples of school curricula; his name is synonymous with the fable genre.
His influence extends far beyond France: fable writers in Europe and beyond have drawn on his works or been inspired by his model of blending poetic elegance, moral insight, and narrative ease.
His Fables have been translated widely, illustrated repeatedly (by artists like Oudry, Grandville, Doré), adapted in culture (theater, cartoons, children’s books), and remain in public consciousness.
Scholars often discover in his fables layers: moral, psychological, political. His ability to embed critique in allegory makes him still relevant for modern readers.
Moreover, he helped demonstrate that literature can do moral work while entertaining—and that “popular” forms (stories about animals) can bear deep philosophical weight.
His admission to the Académie Française cements his status as a major man of letters; his portraits, statues, and commemorative stamps keep his memory alive in French culture.
Personality, Style & Literary Talents
La Fontaine’s personality is often described through anecdotes: absent-mindedness, gentleness, anecdotal quirkiness. Stories survive of him being sloppy with dress, forgetting appointments, or being socially awkward.
Yet in his temper and intellect he was acute, observant, ironic, and compassionate. His style reflects moderation, flexibility, simplicity with refinement, and a light touch.
He had an exceptional ear for language: how to turn a phrase so it sings, how to combine clarity and subtlety, how to compress a moral insight into natural narrative.
His verse often feels conversational, not grandiose. He makes the animal world speak human truths without heavy moralizing.
His talent lies in blending: narrative and reflection, economy and richness, allegory and realism.
Famous Quotes of Jean de La Fontaine
Below are some of his memorable lines, often from his Fables and Tales, in translation (or paraphrase):
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“A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.”
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“Sadness flies away on the wings of time.”
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“Never sell the bear’s skin before one has killed the beast.”
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“It is twice the pleasure to deceive the deceiver.”
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“Beware, so long as you live, of judging men by their outward appearance.”
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“Patience and time do more than force or passion.”
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“All flatterers live at the expense of those who listen to them.”
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“Help yourself, and Heaven will help you.”
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“It is impossible to please all the world and one’s father.”
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“Everyone believes very easily whatever they fear or desire.”
These lines reflect his moral sensibility, observation of human weakness, ironic tone, and philosophical depth.
Lessons from La Fontaine
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Morality through story, not sermon
La Fontaine teaches by example—he trusts the reader to draw the moral, rather than hammering it overtly. -
Economy and elegance
His language is never excessively ornate; he achieves depth with clarity. For writers, this is a reminder that restraint often gains more than flamboyance. -
Allegory as safe critique
By using animals and fable, one can comment on human society, power, hypocrisy—often more freely than in direct forms. -
Flexibility of form
He did not confine himself to a fixed meter or rigid structure. His success shows that poetic form can be adaptive if the voice is strong. -
Relevance across ages
The truths in his fables—about ambition, folly, flattery, greed, friendship—still apply centuries later. -
The power of humility
Despite fame, La Fontaine remained modest, engaging in small poetry, personal reflection, and quiet wit.
Conclusion
Jean de La Fontaine is more than a teller of animal tales—he is a craftsman of human insight. Born in 1621 in Château-Thierry, he navigated the currents of 17th-century French literature, courtly patronage, moral expectations, and personal struggles to create a body of work that transcends time. His Fables remain alive and potent, teaching through story, delighting in wit, and prompting self-reflection.
His legacy is a rich one: as a moral poet, a literary innovator, and a cultural icon. For the modern reader or writer, La Fontaine offers enduring lessons: that simplicity may carry power, that allegory can speak truth, and that the human heart remains as flawed, curious, and instructive as ever.