French 17th Century

17th-century French literature was written throughout the Grand Siècle of France, spanning the reigns of Henri, the Regency of Marie de' Medici, Louis XIII, the Regency of Anne of Austria (and the civil war called the Fronde), and the reign of Louis XIV. The literature of this period is often equated with the Classicism of Louis XIV's long reign, during which France led Europe in political and cultural development; its authors expounded the classical ideals of order, clarity, proportion and good taste. In reality, 17th-century French literature encompasses far more than just the classicist masterpieces of Jean Racine and Madame de La Fayette.