Jean-Antoine de Baïf facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jean Antoine de Baïf
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| Born | 19 February 1532 Venice |
| Died | 19 September 1589 (aged 57) Paris |
| Occupation | Poet |
| Nationality | French |
Jean Antoine de Baïf (born February 19, 1532 – died September 19, 1589) was a famous French poet. He was also a key member of a group of writers called the Pléiade.
Life of a Poet
Jean Antoine de Baïf was born in Venice, Italy. His father, Lazare de Baïf, was a scholar and served as the French ambassador there. Growing up in Venice, Jean Antoine became very interested in the fine arts. He was especially keen on the new ideas of the Renaissance in France.
His father made sure he received an excellent education. Jean Antoine learned Latin from Charles Estienne and Greek from Ange Vergèce. Vergèce was a scholar from Crete who also designed Greek letters for printing.
When he was eleven, Jean Antoine began studying with the famous teacher Jean Daurat. Another well-known poet, Ronsard, who was eight years older, also studied with them. It is said that young Baïf, who was already good at Latin and Greek, helped Ronsard learn Greek. In return, Ronsard taught Baïf about writing French poetry.
Baïf was a very productive writer. He wrote many short poems about love and celebrations. He also translated or rewrote parts of works by ancient Greek and Roman poets like Anacreon and Catullus.
He lived in Paris and was popular at the royal court. In 1570, Baïf started the Académie de Poésie et de Musique (Academy of Poetry and Music). He did this with the help of a composer named Joachim Thibault de Courville. The goal was to bring music and poetry closer together. Baïf's home became famous for the concerts he held there. Even kings like Charles IX and Henry III often attended these events. Important composers like Claude Le Jeune and Jacques Mauduit joined the group.
Baïf's Poetic Innovations
Jean Antoine de Baïf created a special system for French poetry. He wanted to make French poems sound more like ancient Greek and Latin poems. This system was called vers mesurés, which means "measured verses." He tried to make the rhythm of French poetry follow a specific pattern, similar to how ancient poems were structured.
He also invented a new type of poetic line. This line had 15 syllables and became known as the vers Baïfin. Besides poetry, Baïf also thought about ways to improve French spelling.
His ideas about poetry can be seen in his work Etrenes de poezie Franzoeze an vers mezures (1574). His main works were published in four volumes called Œuvres en rime (1573). These included his love poems, games, pastimes, and other poems. While some parts are not often read today, many pieces are still admired for their beauty. For example, his sonnet about the Roman de la Rose was very popular. People said it perfectly captured the meaning of that famous story.
Baïf also wrote two comedies. L'Eunuque (1565) was a translation of a play by the Roman writer Terence. Le Brave (1567) was based on another Roman play by Plautus. In Le Brave, Baïf changed the Roman characters into French people, and the story took place in Orléans. In 1577, he published a collection of Latin poems. In 1576, he released a popular book called Mimes, enseignemens et proverbes, which contained short plays, teachings, and proverbs.
See also
