Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian
Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian (6 March 1755 – 13 September 1794) was a French poet, novelist and writer of fables. He is best known for the poem Plaisir d’amour, which appears in his story Celestine. The poem was set to music by Jean-Paul-Égide Martini, became popular through Hector Berlioz’s arrangements, and inspired Elvis Presley’s Can't Help Falling in Love.
Florian was born at the château de Florian near Sauve, Gard, France. His mother died when he was young, and he was raised by his grandfather. He studied at St. Hippolyte and was introduced to literary circles by his uncle, the Marquis of Florian, who was connected to Voltaire. As a young man he served briefly as a page at the Château de Ferney and later joined the army, earning a captain’s commission in the dragoon regiment of the Duke of Penthièvre. He soon left the army to write, and in 1788 he was named to the Académie Française.
When the French Revolution began, Florian retired to Sceaux but was imprisoned. He died there of tuberculosis in 1794, a few months after Robespierre’s fall.
Florian was famous in his time for his charming fables, which have been reprinted many times, and for his poetical and pastoral novels. He also wrote comedies and abridged Don Quixote. His fables, such as The Monkey showing the Magic Lantern, The Blind Man and the Paralytic, and The Monkeys and the Leopard, helped popularize the style. The phrase éclairer la lanterne (to light the lantern) comes from his fables.
Some of his notable works include Estelle (a pastoral, 1788), Galatie (1783), Gonzalve de Cordoue (1792), and Numa Pompilius (1786). A collection of his fables, Fables de Florian, appeared after his death in 1802.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 19:37 (CET).