Melin de Saint-Gelais

Melin (or Mellin) de Saint-Gelais (or Gelays) (March 3/4 or 30, 1491 - October 4, 1558) was a French poet of the Renaissance. He was born at Angoulême, most likely the natural son of gentleman of the same name (who was also seigneur of Saint-Séverin). He was close to his uncle Octavien de Saint-Gelais (1466-1502), afterwards bishop of Angoulême, himself a poet who had translated the Aeneid into French.

Related Topics:
1491 - 1558 - French - Poet - Renaissance - Angoulême - Octavien de Saint-Gelais - Bishop - Aeneid - French

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Melin, who had studied at Bologna and Padua, had the reputation of being doctor, astrologer and musician as well as poet. He returned to France around 1523, and soon gained favour at the court of Francis I by his skill in light verse. He was made almoner to the Dauphin, abbot of Reclus in the diocese of Troyes and librarian to the king at Blois.

Related Topics:
Bologna - Padua - Astrologer - France - 1523 - Francis I - Dauphin - Reclus - Troyes - Blois

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He enjoyed immense popularity until the appearance of Joachim du Bellay's Défense et illustration... in 1549, where Saint-Gelais was not excepted from the scorn poured on contemporary poets. He attempted to ridicule the innovators by reading aloud the Odes of Pierre de Ronsard with burlesque emphasis before Henry II, when the king's sister, Marguerite de Valois, seized the book and read them herself.

Related Topics:
Joachim du Bellay - 1549 - Pierre de Ronsard - Henry II - Marguerite de Valois

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Ronsard accepted Saint-Gelais's apology for this incident, but Du Bellay satirized the offender in the Poète courtisan. He translated (perhaps in collaboration with François Habert), the "Sophonisbe" of Trissino (1524) which was represented in 1556 before Catherine de Medici at Blois. Saint-Gelais was the champion of the style marotique (see Clément Marot) and the earliest of French sonneteers. He died in 1538.

Related Topics:
François Habert - Sophonisbe - Trissino - Catherine de Medici - Clément Marot - Sonnet

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