Alexis Piron facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alexis Piron
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| Born | 9 July 1689 |
| Died | 21 January 1773 (aged 83) |
| Parent(s) | Aime Piron |
Alexis Piron (born 9 July 1689 – died 21 January 1773) was a French writer. He was especially known for his short, witty poems called epigrams and his plays.
Contents
Life of Alexis Piron
Alexis Piron was born in Dijon, a city in France. His father, Aimé Piron, was a pharmacist who also wrote poems. Alexis first worked as a clerk for a banker. Later, he studied law.
Moving to Paris and Early Success
In 1719, when he was almost 30 years old, Piron moved to Paris. He found success by chance. At the time, a rule limited plays at the Théâtre de la Foire (a type of fairground theater) to only one actor on stage. Most writers didn't want to try writing a play for just one person.
Piron wrote a very successful play called Arlequin Deucalion. In this play, the character Deucalion is shown right after a big flood. He entertains himself by creating different kinds of people. This play made Piron well-known.
Plays and Comedies
In 1728, Piron's play Les Fils ingrats was performed at the Comédie-Française. This play was later known as L'Ecole des pères. He also tried writing serious plays called tragedies, like Callisthene (1730) and Gustave Vasa (1733). However, these plays were not very successful.
Piron then went back to writing comedies. His play La Metromanie (1738) was a big hit. It was about a character named Damis who was obsessed with writing poetry.
Later Life and Recognition
Piron became close friends with the actress Mademoiselle Quinault and her friend Marie Thérèse Quénaudon. After knowing Marie Thérèse for 20 years, Piron married her in 1741.
In 1753, Piron was chosen to join the Académie française. This is a very important French institution that looks after the French language. However, an old poem he wrote caused some trouble. Because of this, King Louis XV prevented him from joining. Even so, Piron was given a pension, which meant he had money and was comfortable for the rest of his life.
Famous Epigrams
Piron is best remembered for his clever epigrams. These are short, witty sayings or poems. One of his most famous is a funny epitaph he wrote for himself. It makes fun of the Academy: "Ci-gît Piron qui ne fut rien/Pas même académicien." This means "Here lies Piron, who was nothing,/Not even a member of the [French] Academy."
A writer named Friedrich Melchior, baron von Grimm, once called Piron a "machine a saillies," meaning a machine that constantly produces witty remarks. Later, in 1762, Piron was elected to another important group, the Académie des Sciences, Arts et Belles-Lettres de Dijon.
Piron published his own plays in 1758. After he died, his friend and literary helper, Rigoley de Juvigny, published all of his works.
