Jean de La Fontaine (IPA: [ʒɑ̃ də la fɔ̃tɛn]; 8 July 1621 – 13 April 1695)^[1] was the first of the French fabulist.^[2] He was one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century. He is known for his fables. These provided a model for later fabulists across Europe. They were also an example for numerous alternative versions in France and in French regional languages.

According to Flaubert, he was the only French poet to understand and master the subtleties of the French language before Victor Hugo. A set of postage stamps celebrating La Fontaine and the Fables was issued by France in 1995.

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