La Fontaine, Jean de, << la fawn TEHN, zhahn duh >> (1621-1695), a French poet, is famous for his Fables (1668-1694). Modeled on Aesop’s Fables, La Fontaine’s fables portray human behavior through animal characters. La Fontaine suggests more forcefully than Aesop that life is a jungle, reflecting life in the context of monarchy and the struggle for favor. He treated such serious subjects as power, greed, and violence with an amused, philosophical acceptance. He wrote his fables in light, natural verse. Despite their pessimism and sophistication, the Fables still play a large role in the education of French children. La Fontaine also wrote racy stories called Contes (Tales) (1664-1666).
La Fontaine was probably born on July 8, 1621, in Chateau-Thierry. His friends described him as childlike, absent-minded, and ill-at-ease in society. A series of wealthy, cultured patrons supported him. La Fontaine died in Paris on April 13, 1695.
