Death and the Unhappy Man book cover

Death and the Unhappy Man

"Death and the Unhappy Man" is a philosophical book by Jean de La Fontaine. It explores the topic of mortality through a dialogue between an elderly, unhappy man and death personified. The man, dissatisfied with his life, continually pleads with death to take him, while death, despite its terrifying image, explains its natural role in the cycle of life. The book brings about reflections on the value of life, fear of death, and the human tendency to be unhappy despite life's fleeting nature.


Year:
1668
106 Views

Submitted by davidb on September 28, 2023


								
A Miserable Man incessant prayed To Death for aid. "Oh, Death!" he cried. "I love thee as a friend! Come quickly, and my life's long sorrows end!" Death, wishing to oblige him, ran, Knocked at the door, entered, and eyed the man. "What do I see? begone, thou hideous thing! The very sight Strikes me with horror and affright! Begone, old Death!--Away, thou grisly King!" Mecænas (hearty fellow) somewhere said; "Let me be gouty, crippled, impotent and lame, 'Tis all the same. So I but keep on living. Death, thou slave! Come not at all, and I shall be content." And that was what the man I mention meant.
Rate:0.0 / 0 votes

Jean de La Fontaine

Jean de La Fontaine was a renowned French fabulist and one of the most famous poets during the French classical period. He was born on July 8, 1621, and died on April 13, 1695. Known for his literary style, he is best known for his "Fables", which are considered classics of French literature. His works were marked by his sophisticated style and moral substance, and his fables provided a scathing critique of French society during his time. more…

All Jean de La Fontaine books

0 fans

Discuss this Death and the Unhappy Man book with the community:

0 Comments

    Translation

    Translate and read this book in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this book to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Death and the Unhappy Man Books." Literature.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 11 Dec. 2024. <https://www.literature.com/book/death_and_the_unhappy_man_2478>.

    We need you!

    Help us build the largest authors community and books collection on the web!

    Winter 2025

    Writing Contest

    Join our short stories contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    2
    months
    17
    days
    8
    hours

    Our favorite collection of

    Famous Authors

    »

    Quiz

    Are you a literary expert?

    »
    Who wrote "The Divine Comedy"?
    A Dante Alighieri
    B John Milton
    C Geoffrey Chaucer
    D Virgil