François de Malherbe facts for kids

François de Malherbe (born in 1555 – died October 16, 1628) was a French poet, critic, and translator. He is famous for helping to shape the rules of French poetry that became known as "Classicism." This style focused on clear language and strict forms, influencing French literature for nearly 200 years.

A Poet's Journey: Malherbe's Life

François de Malherbe was born in a town called Le Locheur, near Caen in Normandy, France. His family was well-respected. His father was an important legal advisor to the king. François received a good education in several cities, including Caen, Paris, Heidelberg, and Basel.

When he was about 21, Malherbe decided to work for Henri d'Angoulême, who was the governor of Provence. He served as a secretary and got married in Provence in 1581. During this time, he started writing poems.

After his patron, Henri d'Angoulême, passed away, Malherbe didn't have a steady job for a while. However, he managed to get a good amount of money from King Henry III. He spent many years living in Provence and Normandy. In 1587, he published a poem called Larmes de Saint Pierre.

Malherbe at Court

In 1600, Malherbe wrote a special poem to welcome Maria de' Medici, who would become the Queen of France. This was one of his first important poems. A few years later, his luck changed. He was introduced to King Henry IV. Even though the king wasn't very quick to hire poets, Malherbe was eventually called to the royal court and given support. It's said that he didn't receive his promised payment until the next king's rule. When his father died in 1606, Malherbe inherited his family's property.

From then on, Malherbe lived at the royal court. He wrote loving letters to his wife but only saw her twice in about 20 years. Later in his life, Malherbe faced a very sad event. His son, Marc Antoine, passed away. Malherbe worked very hard to get justice for his son. Sadly, Malherbe passed away in Paris on October 16, 1628, at the age of 73, before the legal case was finished.

Today, a football team from Caen, France, is named after him: Stade Malherbe de Caen.

Malherbe's Impact on Literature

Malherbe had a big and lasting effect on French literature. He helped develop the "Classical" rules for poetry that would be followed for almost two centuries. He believed in making poetry more perfect, simpler, and purer in its words and rhythm. This was a way to make French poetry clearer and more organized.

Malherbe's own personality was known to be quite strong. He was sometimes critical, but his ideas helped shape the kind of poetry needed for classical plays. His own poems are not very many, and some people find them a bit cold or lacking strong emotion. However, some of his works are well-remembered, like the beautiful Consolation a Duperier, which includes the famous line: Et, rose, elle a vécu ce que vivent les roses (meaning, "And, a rose, it lived as long as roses live"). He also wrote important poems for Maria de' Medici and King Louis XIII.

Prose and Influence

Malherbe wrote a lot of prose (regular writing, not poetry), which was also very carefully styled. He translated works by famous Roman writers like Livy and Seneca. He also wrote many interesting letters, especially to a scientist named Peiresc. Malherbe also wrote a detailed commentary on another poet, Philippe Desportes, showing his very precise way of looking at words and style.

Two of Malherbe's most important students were François Maynard and Racan. Another writer, Claude Favre de Vaugelas, also helped to make French language clearer and more refined around the same time.

See also

In Spanish: François de Malherbe para niños

Images for kids

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  A portrait of Robert Lefevre.