Which French writers influenced Jean de La Fontaine?

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Jean de La Fontaine Jean de La Fontaine, oil painting by François De Troy; in the Bibliothèque Publique et Universitaire, Geneva

Jean de La Fontaine was an assiduous reader who drew significant inspiration from a wide array of 16th- and 17th-century French authors. His work reflects a deep engagement with the matter and manner of these writers, whose literary heritage he skillfully adapted.1

Among the French writers who influenced him, the following are particularly notable:

François Rabelais1
Clément Marot1
François de Malherbe1
Honoré d’Urfé1
Vincent Voiture1

While La Fontaine maintained friendships with prominent contemporaries such as Molière, Nicolas Boileau, and Jean Racine, his creative output was primarily shaped by his extensive study of this complex literary tradition rather than solely by his personal associations.1