Vincent Voiture

Vincent Voiture (February 24, 1597 - May 26, 1648), French poet, was the son of a rich merchant of Amiens. He was introduced by a schoolfellow, the comte d'Avaux, to Gaston, Duke of Orleans, and accompanied him to Brussels and Lorraine on diplomatic missions.

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Although a follower of Gaston, he won the favour of Cardinal Richelieu, and was one of the earliest academicians. He also received appointments and pensions from Louis XIII and Anne of Austria.

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He published nothing in book form, but his verses and his prose letters were the delight of the côteries, and were copied, handed about and admired moie perhaps than the work of any contemporary. He had been early introduced to the Hôtel de Rambouillet, where he was the especial friend of Julie d'Angennes, who called him her "dwarf king." His ingenuity in providing amusement for the younger members of the circle ensured his popularity, which was never seriously threatened except by Antoine Godeau, and this rivalry ceased when Richelieu appointed Godeau bishop of Grasse.

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When at the desire of the duc de Montausier nineteen poets contributed to the Guirlande de Julie, which was to decide the much-f?ted Julie in favour of his suit, Voiture refused to take part. The quarrel between the Uranistes and the Jobelins arose over the respective merits of a sonnet of Voiture addressed to a certain Uranie, and of another composed by Isaac de Benserade, till then unknown, on the subject of Job.

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Another famous piece of his of the same kind, La Belle Malineuse, is less exquisite, but still very admirable, and Voiture stands in the highest rank of writers of vers de societe. His prose letters are full of lively wit, and, in some cases, as in the letter on Richelieu's policy (Letter LXXIV), show considerable political penetration. He ranks with Jean de Balzac as the chief director of the reform in French prose which accompanied that of Malhérbe in French verse. Voiture died at the outbreak of the Fronde, which killed the society to which he was accustomed, on the 26th of May 1648.

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February 24: February 24 is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 310 days remaining, 311 in leap years. By Roman custom February 24 is the day added to a leap year, and the occurrence of February 29 is merely a consequence of this....

May 26: May 26 is the 146th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (147th in leap years). There are 219 days remaining before the end of the year....

Poet: Poets are authors of poems, or of other forms of poetry such as dramatic verse. Poets are often regarded as imaginative thinkers or writers. Bad poets are called poetasters....

Vincent Voiture related Images and Photos (experimental)

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St. Vincent De Paul	Vincent Price c.1940	Vincent Price Print	Gene Vincent
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