Jean de La Fontaine (1621–95) was a French poet and man of letters who chose to work in relatively unexplored genres—the fable and the verse tale, for example. His fables, compared to those of Aesop and the Pañcatantra, rank among the greatest masterpieces of French literature.
Born in Château-Thierry, Champagne, La Fontaine dedicated himself to studying the old writers and to verse writing. In 1654, he published a verse translation of Terence’s play Eunuchus, and then went to Paris, where the French finance minister Nicolas Fouquet became his benefactor.
La Fontaine’s Fables choisies, mises en vers (1668–94; Fables, 1804) comprise 12 books of some 240 fables. They were drawn from oriental, classical, and contemporary sources. Beyond children’s literature, they embrace the sophisticated satire of conventional wisdom and morality.
In 1683, La Fontaine was elected to the Académie Française.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Jean de La Fontaine
Everyone believes very easily whatever they fear or desire.
—Jean de La Fontaine
Topics: Belief, Desire
Patience and the passage of time do more than strength and fury.
—Jean de La Fontaine
Topics: Patience
Even if misfortune is only good for bringing a fool to his senses, it would still be just to deem it good for something.
—Jean de La Fontaine
Topics: Difficulties, Adversity
The worst time is always the present.
—Jean de La Fontaine
Topics: The Past
Death never takes the wise man by surprise; he is always ready to go.
—Jean de La Fontaine
Topics: Dying, Death
Nothing is more dangerous than a friend without discretion; even a prudent enemy is preferable.
—Jean de La Fontaine
Topics: Judging, Judgment, Friendship
We always take credit for the good and attribute the bad to fortune.
—Jean de La Fontaine
Topics: Achievement, Success & Failure
Man is so made that when anything fires his soul, impossibilities vanish
—Jean de La Fontaine
Topics: Soul
A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.
—Jean de La Fontaine
Topics: Self-Discovery, Fate
The argument of the strongest is always the best.
—Jean de La Fontaine
Topics: Argument
In short, luck’s always to blame.
—Jean de La Fontaine
Topics: Luck
To live lightheartedly but not recklessly; to be gay without being boisterous; to be courageous without being bold; to show trust and cheerful resignation without fatalism—this is the art of living.
—Jean de La Fontaine
Topics: Life and Living
Any one entrusted with power will abuse it if not also animated with the love of truth and virtue, no matter whether he be a prince, or one of the people.
—Jean de La Fontaine
The fastidious are unfortunate; nothing satisfies them.
—Jean de La Fontaine
Topics: Facts
He is very foolish who aims at satisfying all the world and his father.
—Jean de La Fontaine
Topics: Satisfaction
He knows the universe and does not know himself.
—Jean de La Fontaine
Topics: Identity, Self-Knowledge, Awareness
Nothing weighs on us so heavily as a secret.
—Jean de La Fontaine
Topics: Secrets
Sadness flies away on the wings of time.
—Jean de La Fontaine
Topics: Sadness, Resilience, Difficulty, Moving on
Neither wealth or greatness render us happy.
—Jean de La Fontaine
Topics: Greatness & Great Things, Greatness
Lynx-eyed to our neighbors, and moles to ourselves.
—Jean de La Fontaine
Topics: Judgment
Everyone has a wallet behind for his own failings, and one before for the failings of others.
—Jean de La Fontaine
In this world we must help one another.
—Jean de La Fontaine
Topics: Helping, Service
One should stick to the sort of thing for which one was made; I tried to be an herbalist, whereas I should keep to the butcher’s trade.
—Jean de La Fontaine
Topics: Abilities, Work, Talents
One returns to the place one came from.
—Jean de La Fontaine
Topics: Home
One often has need of one, inferior to himself.
—Jean de La Fontaine
Topics: Inferiority
There is no road of flowers leading to glory
—Jean de La Fontaine
Topics: Glory, One liners
Every flatterer lives at the expense of him who listens to him.
—Jean de La Fontaine
Topics: Flattery
Beware, so long as you live, of judging men by their outward appearance.
—Jean de La Fontaine
Topics: Appearance
Help yourself, and Heaven will help you.
—Jean de La Fontaine
Topics: Self-reliance, Prayer, Independence
Friendship is the shadow of the evening, which strengthens with the setting sun of life.
—Jean de La Fontaine
Topics: Friendship, Friends
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