Culturethèque
Why did the renard lose his cheese?
Wit, sophistication and a whole lot of imagination. As curiosity kicks in, we must ask: who invented the idea of haute grammaire? Who was a master of prose and verse? And who has a planet named after them? Jean de La Fontaine and Rudyard Kipling open our eyes to the world of the wilderness; regardless whether we are young or old.
These two good sirs invented more than we think. Behind the façade of animals, there lies an insight to the true meaning of morale. As naïve human beings, we sometimes take first glance as reality, but what these gentlemen show us is the morbid reality of the world we live in. For every seven deadly sin there lies a “Fables de La Fontaine” or a “Just so Story”, you just need a monkey by your side to point it out…
“Ne forçons point notre talent, Nous ne ferions rien avec grâce”
Jean de La Fontaine (1621-1695): a man of vogue from birth. De La Fontaine grew up under the tutelage of his extravagant father who taught him style and etiquette. The proof is in the pudding; his father even called himself maître des eaux et forêts…now if that is not grandiose enough, you are obviously royalty. He was cocooned in the highest middle-class society which fed his interest for grammar. Yes that’s right, someone who actually likes French grammar, rare as it sounds. He completely changed the literary approach to French syntax by understanding the texture and timbre of language. In short, he was a “grammar gourmand”. This sophistication allowed him V.I.P. access to the upper echelons of society where he formed a troupe of merry men: Racine, Molière and Boileau…a.k.a. the “Rue du Vieux Colombier”. This quartet used the method of the quill to inject a little more outré into seventeenth century living…much like the softly spoken Philippe Sollers and his companions do today…
“Il se faut entr'aider, c'est la loi de nature”
Now it is time we applaud his literary talent: a grand total of 240 fables amongst a plethora of other works (including one opera!). I can safely say that these fables are the zenith of any childhood, even if you have to learn them by heart. A secret world is opened up where a fox can flirt with a crow who eats cheese. De La Fontaine spruced up Mother Nature with a je ne sais quoi whilst at the same time keeping ambiguity at the forefront. We ask ourselves why an ant asks a cricket a dance when really we should be addressing the miracle that an ant can speak! So, refresh your memories and dig deeper for la verité
Or as Philippe Sollers says, it is always better to listen to Les Fables:
“Is all the sea obedient to you?”
Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was a hybrid British-Indian child. Born in an era of imperialism and colonisation, Kipling had the best of both worlds as he darted between Bombay and Sussex. He also achieved the ideal quirkiness through his parents as his mother always said “Mrs Kipling and dullness cannot exist in the same room”. Kipling picked up his Nobel Prize in 1907 through sheer determination, and still remains the youngest winner. A lack of funds prevented his foot step into Oxford University, but it did not stop him from travelling. From yearly visits to South Africa and spontaneous weekends in Punjab, he started as a journalist and evolved into the poet of the empire…he really was the king of swing…
“It's very like the carp-fish-mouth noise”
Kipling’s “Just So” stories, written in 1902, put a stamp on English wit. The cocktail of bizarre story-telling mixed with an exotic touch gives us more holiday sun than St Tropez. When reading the stories, we can fill the shoes of Le Petit Prince and escape into another imagination by always asking “pourqoui”…without getting told off by the grown-ups…here is a recap if you missed out
“D'un Magistrat ignorant, C'est la robe qu'on salue.”
So to wrap it up we must acknowledge the enormity of these stories and how they are still very much in mode today. De La Fontaine and Kipling polished the ins and outs of language so we can enjoy a good old debate without the fear of the squiggly red line under our conversation…
As the atmosphere is rather nostalgic, I leave you with a clip which will awaken the youth in you, there’s even an appearance of the chicken who escaped from one of the Fables…
Next week we’re in comedy stiches: the influence and influences of Louis De Funès vs. Noel Fielding
A sneaky peak for what’s in store
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