Michel de Montaigne
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| + | [[When I play with my cat, who knows if I am not a pastime to her more than she is to me?]]--Montaigne | ||
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| + | [[Que sais-je?]] -- Montaigne | ||
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| + | "That such a man wrote has truly augmented the joy of living on this Earth".--[[Friedrich Nietzsche]] on [[Michel de Montaigne]] in ''[[Untimely Meditations]]'' | ||
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| - | '''Michel Eyquem de Montaigne-Delecroix''' ([[February 28]] [[1533]]–[[September 13]] [[1592]]) was one of the most influential writers of the French [[Renaissance]]. Montaigne is known for popularizing the [[essay]] as a literary genre. He became famous for his effortless ability to merge serious intellectual speculation with casual anecdotes and autobiography — and his massive volume ''Essais'' (translated literally as "Attempts") contains, to this day, some of the most widely influential essays ever written. Montaigne had a direct influence on writers the world over, from [[William Shakespeare]] to [[Ralph Waldo Emerson]], from [[Friedrich Nietzsche]] to [[Jean-Jacques Rousseau]]. | ||
| - | In his own time, Montaigne was admired more as a statesman than as an author. His tendency in his essays to diverge into anecdotes and personal ruminations was seen as a detriment rather than an innovation, and his stated motto that "I am myself the matter of my book" was viewed by contemporary writers as self-indulgent. In time, however, Montaigne would be recognized as expressing, perhaps better than any other author of his time, the doubts and thoughts of his age. Remarkably modern even to readers today, Montaigne's attempt to examine the world through the lens of the only thing he can depend on implicitly — his own judgment — makes him more accessible than any other author of the Renaissance. Much of modern literary non-fiction owes its genesis to Montaigne, and writers of all kinds continue to read Montaigne for his masterful balance of intellectual knowledge and personal story-telling. | + | '''Michel Eyquem de Montaigne''' (28 February 1533 – 13 September 1592) was one of the most influential writers of the [[French Renaissance]], known for popularizing the [[essay]] as a [[literary genre]], and commonly thought of as the father of modern [[skepticism]]. He became famous for his effortless ability to merge serious intellectual exercises with casual [[anecdote]]s and [[autobiography]]—and his massive volume ''[[Essays (Montaigne)|Essais]]'' (translated literally as "Attempts" or "Trials") contains, to this day, some of the most widely influential essays ever written. Notable essays of this collection include "[[Upon some verses of Virgil]]". |
| + | == Essays == | ||
| + | :''main [[Essays (Montaigne)]]'' | ||
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| + | Montaigne is known for popularizing the [[essay]] as a [[literary genre]]. He became [[famous]] for his effortless ability to merge [[serious]] [[intellectual]] speculation with [[casual]] [[anecdote]]s and [[autobiography]] — and his massive volume ''Essais'' (translated literally as "Attempts") contains, to this day, some of the most widely [[influential]] essays ever written. | ||
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| + | == Influence == | ||
| + | Montaigne had a direct influence on writers the world over, from [[William Shakespeare]] to [[Ralph Waldo Emerson]], from [[Friedrich Nietzsche]] to [[Jean-Jacques Rousseau]]. Montaigne is recognized as expressing, perhaps better than any other author of his time, [[Zeitgeist|the doubts and thoughts of his age]]. Remarkably modern even to readers today, Montaigne's attempt to examine the world through the lens of the only thing he can depend on implicitly — his own judgment — makes him more accessible than any other author of the Renaissance. Much of modern literary [[non-fiction]] owes its genesis to Montaigne, and writers of all kinds continue to read Montaigne for his masterful balance of intellectual knowledge and personal [[storytelling]]. | ||
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| + | == In his own time == | ||
| + | In his own time, Montaigne was admired more as a statesman than as an author. His tendency in his essays to [[digression|diverge]] into [[anecdote]]s and personal [[rumination]]s was seen as a detriment rather than an innovation, and his stated motto that "I am myself the matter of my book" was viewed by contemporary writers as [[self-indulgent]]. | ||
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| + | ==See also== | ||
| + | *[[Upon some verses of Virgil]] | ||
| + | *[[Corporeality in Montaigne]] | ||
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When I play with my cat, who knows if I am not a pastime to her more than she is to me?--Montaigne Que sais-je? -- Montaigne "That such a man wrote has truly augmented the joy of living on this Earth".--Friedrich Nietzsche on Michel de Montaigne in Untimely Meditations |
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Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (28 February 1533 – 13 September 1592) was one of the most influential writers of the French Renaissance, known for popularizing the essay as a literary genre, and commonly thought of as the father of modern skepticism. He became famous for his effortless ability to merge serious intellectual exercises with casual anecdotes and autobiography—and his massive volume Essais (translated literally as "Attempts" or "Trials") contains, to this day, some of the most widely influential essays ever written. Notable essays of this collection include "Upon some verses of Virgil".
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Essays
- main Essays (Montaigne)
Montaigne is known for popularizing the essay as a literary genre. He became famous for his effortless ability to merge serious intellectual speculation with casual anecdotes and autobiography — and his massive volume Essais (translated literally as "Attempts") contains, to this day, some of the most widely influential essays ever written.
Influence
Montaigne had a direct influence on writers the world over, from William Shakespeare to Ralph Waldo Emerson, from Friedrich Nietzsche to Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Montaigne is recognized as expressing, perhaps better than any other author of his time, the doubts and thoughts of his age. Remarkably modern even to readers today, Montaigne's attempt to examine the world through the lens of the only thing he can depend on implicitly — his own judgment — makes him more accessible than any other author of the Renaissance. Much of modern literary non-fiction owes its genesis to Montaigne, and writers of all kinds continue to read Montaigne for his masterful balance of intellectual knowledge and personal storytelling.
In his own time
In his own time, Montaigne was admired more as a statesman than as an author. His tendency in his essays to diverge into anecdotes and personal ruminations was seen as a detriment rather than an innovation, and his stated motto that "I am myself the matter of my book" was viewed by contemporary writers as self-indulgent.
See also
