How does Jean de La Fontaine’s second collection of Fables show a more Epicurean outlook?

Jean de La Fontaine’s second collection of Fables (published 1678–79) is distinguished from his first by a shift toward a more reflective, personal, and technically sophisticated style. While the morals throughout his work generally reflect proverbial wisdom, the second collection is notably "tinged with a more genial epicureanism".1

This outlook is expressed through the poet's mature and wise perspective on the human condition, which avoids simple didacticism in favor of a subtle, nuanced commentary on life. By incorporating a sense of la gaietè—a charm that can be applied to even the most serious subjects—La Fontaine invites the reader into a state of complicity. This approach reflects an Epicurean appreciation for the "human comedy," where profundity is conveyed lightly and with a smile, emphasizing a balanced, observant, and reflective engagement with the world rather than a rigid or purely moralistic one.21