Jean François Sarrazin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jean François Sarrazin
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Engraving by Charles Devrits
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| Born | c. 1614 Hermanville |
| Died | 5 December 1654 Pézenas |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Language | French |
| Citizenship | France |
Jean François Sarrazin (born around 1611 – died December 5, 1654), also known as Sarasin, was a French writer. He was known for his poems and prose, which means he wrote both poetry and stories.
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Life of Jean François Sarrazin
Sarrazin was born in a town called Hermanville, which is close to Caen in France. His father, Roger Sarasin, was a treasurer-general in Caen. This was an important job managing money for the government.
Early Life and Education
Jean François Sarrazin studied in Caen. Later, he moved to Paris, the capital city of France. He became known for writing vers de société. These were poems about social life and everyday events. He was considered a rival to another famous poet named Voiture. However, Sarrazin was never part of the very exclusive literary group at the Hôtel de Rambouillet. This was a famous meeting place for writers and thinkers in Paris.
Friends and Diplomatic Work
Sarrazin had many close friends who were also writers. These included Scarron, Ménage, and Pellisson. They often shared their poems and ideas with each other.
In 1639, Sarrazin supported Georges de Scudéry in a disagreement with the famous playwright Corneille. Sarrazin wrote a piece called Discours de la tragédie to back up Scudéry.
He also worked for Léon Bouthillier, who was a secretary of state for foreign affairs. Sarrazin helped with various diplomatic tasks, which are official government missions to other countries. He was supposed to go on a special trip to Rome. But he ended up spending the money for the trip in Paris instead. This made him lose favor with Chavigny, and they stopped working together in 1643 or 1644.
Later Years and Challenges
After losing his position, Sarrazin got married. He joined in a writing battle against Pierre de Montmaur, a scholar he criticized in his satire Bellum parasiticum (1644).
Sarrazin was accused of writing critical poems about Mazarin, a powerful leader in France. Because of this, he stopped writing poetry for a short time. In 1648, with the help of important people like the cardinal de Retz and Madame de Longueville, he joined the household of Armand de Bourbon, prince de Conti. He even helped arrange the marriage between the Prince de Conti and Mazarin's niece.
Jean François Sarrazin died from a fever in Pézenas, a town in Languedoc, on December 5, 1654. Some stories claimed his death was caused by the Prince de Conti or that he was poisoned. However, there is no strong proof for these stories.
Notable Writings
Sarrazin was a talented writer, even though some people thought his poetry was a bit too praised. He wrote several important works:
- Epic Poems: He wrote parts of epic poems like Rollon conquérant (Rollon the Conqueror) and la guerre espagnole (The Spanish War).
- Dulot vaincu: This was another one of his poems.
- Pompe funèbre: This poem was written to honor his friend Voiture after he died.
Sarrazin was especially good at writing prose, which is like regular written language, not poetry. Two of his best prose works are:
- Histoire du siége de Dunkerque (1649): This was a historical account about the siege of Dunkirk.
- Conspiration de Walstein (1651): This was an unfinished story about a conspiracy. People have compared its elegant and simple style to the writings of Voltaire.
His collected works, called Œuvres, were published in 1656. More of his writings, Nouvelles Œuvres, came out in 1674. His poems were edited and published again in 1877 by Octave Uzanne. Many of his letters are kept in a library in Paris.
Images for kids
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Engraving by Charles Devrits
