Fables

...Because of the fame of his allegorical poems, his other works tend to be overlooked, but his early work Adonis (1658) and the prose story The Love of Psyche and Cupid (1669) are also highly accomplished works. His prefaces to each of his Comtes are outstanding as literary treatises, and his Journey to Limousin is outstanding as a letter. Contrary to the various anecdotes that convey his clumsiness, laziness, and foolishness in real life, he testifies to the spirit of a writer who devoted his sharp sensibility, meticulous calculations, and tireless effort to his creative endeavors until just before his death. The Fables are his masterpiece, published in 240 pieces between 1668 and 1693. He makes full use of Aesop, Indian pir-pai and other ancient and original material, and makes full use of the varied poetic forms of classical free verse to create a "play in a hundred acts set in the universe," a human comedy, and an unrivaled "miracle of culture" (Gide). The clear, pictorially evocative and musical lines are traditionally recited by children to this day. [Ninomiya Fusa]...

*Some of the terminology that refers to "Fables" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…《寓話詩》の名声ゆえに他の作品が閑却されるきらいがあるが，初期の《アドニス》(1658)，散文の物語《プシシェとキュピドンの愛》(1669)などもきわめて完成度の高い作品であり，《コント》各集の序文は文学論として，《リムーザン紀行》は書簡文として傑出しており，実生活の不器用さ，怠惰，まぬけぶりを伝える各種の逸話とは裏腹に，死の直前まで鋭い感性と緻密な計算と惜しみない努力を創作に注いだ作家魂を証明する。《寓話詩Fables》は1668年から93年まで約240編を順次公にした畢生の代表作で，イソップ，インドのピルパイその他古い素材，独創の素材を縦横にこなし，古典的自由詩の変化に富む詩形を駆使して〈宇宙を舞台にした百幕の芝居〉，人間喜劇を現出，追随を許さぬ〈文化の奇跡〉(ジッド)として，その清澄で絵画的喚起力と音楽性に富む詩句は，伝統的に子どもたちにも暗誦されて現代に至っている。【二宮 フサ】。…

※「《Fables》」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報