French poet whose Fables, including The Tortoise and the Hare and The Grasshopper and the Ant, are still learned by schoolchildren
Did you know?His stories were often inspired by ancient writers like Aesop, yet he rewrote them to satirise French society and the royal court.
Quick facts
Date of birth8 June 1621
Date of death13 April 1695
Age at death73
NationalityFrench
BirthplaceChâteau-Thierry, France
Occupationfabulist, poet, lawyer
Editor's Take:
La Fontaine took fables that were already ancient and made them sparkle in French verse. His talking animals, from the grasshopper to the fox, expose human vanity with gentle wit. Each story is short, clever and easy to remember, which is why French children still learn them by heart. Beneath the charm lies sharp observation of the court of Louis XIV. He remains one of France's most quoted poets.
Key Milestones
1665: Contes – tales
1668: Fables – first collection
1678: Fables – second collection
1684: Académie française – elected
Jean de La Fontaine (UK:, US:; French:; 8 July 1621 – 13 April 1695) was a French fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century.