author
René Rapin
1621–1687
A sharp-minded Jesuit critic and poet, this 17th-century French writer moved easily between literature, theology, and cultural debate. He became especially known for elegant Latin verse, reflections on poetry and style, and vivid memoirs of religious and social life in his time.
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About the author
Born in Tours in 1621, René Rapin entered the Society of Jesus in 1639 and went on to teach rhetoric before building a reputation as a major man of letters. He wrote in both Latin and French, and his work ranged across poetry, criticism, history, and theology.
Rapin was admired in his own day for polished classical style. Among his best-known works are the Eclogae Sacrae and Hortorum libri IV, a poem on gardens that helped keep his name alive among readers of Latin verse. He also wrote influential critical essays on ancient and modern authors, including discussions of Homer, Virgil, and Aristotle's ideas about poetry.
He died in Paris in 1687. Today he is often remembered not only as a learned Jesuit writer, but also as a lively witness to the literary and religious world of seventeenth-century France, especially through his memoirs and writings on the Jansenist controversy.