Eustache Deschamps facts for kids

Eustache Deschamps (born around 1346, died 1406 or 1407) was an important French poet. His nickname was Morel, which means "Nightshade" in French. He wrote many poems during a difficult time in history.

Life and Career of Eustache Deschamps

Deschamps was born in a place called Vertus. He learned how to write poetry from a famous poet named Guillaume de Machaut. Later, he studied law at Orleans University.

After his studies, Deschamps traveled across Europe. He worked as a special messenger for King Charles V of France. He went on important trips to countries like Bohemia, Hungary, and Moravia. In 1372, King Charles made him an "huissier d'armes," which was an important court position. He also held other significant jobs, like being a bailli (a type of local administrator) in Valois and later in Senlis. He was also a squire to the Dauphin (the king's oldest son) and governor of Fismes.

In 1380, King Charles V died. Around this time, English soldiers attacked and robbed Deschamps's home. Because of this, he often called himself "Brulé des Champs," which means "Burnt of the Fields."

Deschamps had seen a lot of conflict in his life. As a child, he witnessed the English invasion of 1358. He was also present during the siege of Reims in 1360 and saw the march on Chartres. He even saw the signing of the Treaty of Brétigny, which was a peace agreement. These experiences made him dislike the English very much. He often wrote poems criticizing them.

Works of Eustache Deschamps

Deschamps wrote a huge number of poems, about 1,175 of them! Most of these were short poems called ballades. Some people even say he invented this type of poem.

His poems were often funny and critical. He used his writing to speak out against the English, whom he saw as invaders of his country. He also criticized rich people who treated the poor badly. He even made fun of corrupt officials and church leaders. His sharp wit might have caused him to lose his job as Bailli of Senlis.

Treatise on Poetry

Deschamps also wrote a book about how to write French poetry. It was called L'Art de dictier et de fere chansons, balades, virelais et rondeaulx. He finished it on November 25, 1392. In this book, he gave rules for writing different kinds of poems.

He also shared his ideas about poetry itself. He believed there were two kinds of music:

• Artificial music: This was music you could learn by studying, like playing an instrument.
• Natural music: This was poetry. He thought poetry was a special gift, not something everyone could learn just by studying. He also emphasized how important the sound and rhythm of poems were. This was because, in his time, most poems were meant to be sung.

Le Miroir de Mariage

Deschamps wrote one very long poem called Le Miroir de Mariage (The Mirror of Marriage). It has over 12,000 lines! This poem explored different aspects of marriage and society in a critical way.

This work was important because it influenced another famous poet, Geoffrey Chaucer. Chaucer used ideas from Deschamps's poem in his own writings. It seems Chaucer was one of the few Englishmen Deschamps actually liked! Deschamps even wrote a special ballade (poem number 285) praising Chaucer. He called Chaucer a great thinker, translator, and poet.

Deschamps also wrote about the problems of his time. He mentioned how morals seemed to be getting worse. He also wrote about the difficult conditions during the Late Middle Ages, including wars, hunger, and diseases.

After his teacher Machaut died in 1377, Deschamps wrote two texts in his honor. These texts were later combined and set to music by a composer named F. Andrieu. The song was called Armes, amours/O flour des flours (Weapons, loves/O flower of flowers) and was for four voices.

See also

In Spanish: Eustache Deschamps para niños