François Villon

François Villon (ca.1431 - ca.1474) was a French poet, thief, and general vagabond. He is perhaps best known for his Testaments and his Ballade des Pendus, written while in prison. It has been claimed that the villanelle is named after him, although few scholars today defend that theory. His question, "Mais où sont les neiges d'antan?", translated by Algernon Charles Swinburne as "Where are the snows of yesteryear?", is one of the most famous non-biblical lines of translated poetry in the English-speaking world.

Movie

The 1938 movie If I Were King, stars Ronald Colman as Francis Villon. Villon is appointed by the King of France, Louis XI, played by Basil Rathbone, to be Constable of France for a week.

Related Topics:
If I Were King - Ronald Colman - King of France - Louis XI - Basil Rathbone - Constable of France

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