French Literature Overview

French Literature

• Key periods:

  • Medieval (12th-15th centuries): Notable works include "The Song of Roland".
  • Renaissance (16th century): Influences from humanism; major works by Ronsard and Du Bellay.
  • Classicism (17th century): Focus on clarity and order; notable authors include Racine and Molière.
  • Romanticism (19th century): Individualism and emotion with authors like Hugo and Baudelaire.
  • Modernism (20th century): Exploration of new styles and themes; key figures include Proust and Céline.

• Major genres:

  • Novels: Notable examples include "Les Misérables" by Hugo, "Madame Bovary" by Flaubert.
  • Poetry: Poets such as Verlaine, Rimbaud, and the Symbolist movement.
  • Drama: The rise of absurd theatre with authors like Ionesco and Beckett.

Pronunciation

• Vowels:

  • Nasal sounds: é, en, in, un.
  • Use of accents (accent aigu, accent grave, accent circonflexe) to modify sounds.

• Consonants:

  • The letter "h" is silent in most cases.
  • Combination letters: "ch" (sh sound), "ou" (oo sound), "qu" (k sound).

• Liaison:

  • Connected pronunciation between words where normal phonetics change, e.g., "les amis" pronounced as "lez amis".

Grammar

• Nouns:

  • Gendered (masculine/feminine); affects articles and adjectives.
  • Plural formation typically adds -s, but also irregular forms (ex: "cheval" to "chevaux").

• Verbs:

  • Three conjugation groups: -er, -ir, and -re verbs.
  • Tenses: Present, passé composé, imparfait, futur simple and subjunctive.

• Articles:

  • Definite (le, la, les) vs. indefinite (un, une, des).
  • Partitive articles (du, de la, des) for unspecified quantities.

• Sentence Structure:

  • Basic structure: Subject + Verb + Object.
  • Questions formed by inversion or intonation.

Vocabulary

• Common phrases:

  • Greetings: Bonjour (Hello), Au revoir (Goodbye).
  • Politeness: S'il vous plaît (Please), Merci (Thank you), Excusez-moi (Excuse me).

• Key thematic areas:

  • Everyday life: Food, clothing, transport.
  • Emotions and feelings: Heureux (happy), triste (sad), en colère (angry).

• Numbers:

  • 1-10: un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix.
  • Tens and hundreds follow specific patterns (e.g. vingt, trente, cent).

• Colors:

  • Basic colors include rouge (red), bleu (blue), vert (green), noir (black), blanc (white).

French Literature Periods

• Medieval (12th-15th centuries): Notable works include The Song of Roland, a classic epic poem.
• Renaissance (16th century): Humanist influences impacted literature, with major works by poets Pierre de Ronsard and Joachim du Bellay.
• Classicism (17th century): Emphasized clarity, order, and reason. Notable authors include playwrights Jean Racine and Molière.
• Romanticism (19th century): Focused on individualism and emotion, with authors like Victor Hugo and Charles Baudelaire.
• Modernism (20th century): Explored new styles and themes. Key figures include Marcel Proust and Louis-Ferdinand Céline.

French Literature Genres

• Novels: Include famous works like Les Misérables by Victor Hugo and Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert.
• Poetry: Important poets include Paul Verlaine and Arthur Rimbaud. The Symbolist movement influenced poetry during this era.
• Drama: The rise of absurd theatre in the 20th century with playwrights like Eugène Ionesco and Samuel Beckett.

French Pronunciation

• Vowels: Nasal sounds are common: é, en, in, un. Accents (acute, grave, circumflex) modify vowel sounds.
• Consonants: The letter "h" is mostly silent. Certain letter combinations create specific sounds: "ch" (sh), "ou" (oo), "qu" (k).
• Liaison: Connected pronunciation between words can change the normal phonetics, such as "les amis" pronounced as "lez amis".

French Grammar

• Nouns: Gendered (masculine/feminine) and affect the articles and adjectives used. Plurals are typically formed by adding "-s," but many are irregular, e.g., "cheval" to "chevaux".
• Verbs: Three conjugation groups: -er, -ir, and -re verbs. Key verb tenses include: present, passé composé, imparfait, futur simple, and the subjunctive mood.
• Articles: Definite articles: "le," "la," "les." Indefinite articles: "un," "une," "des." Partitive articles: "du," "de la," "des" are used for unspecified quantities.
• Sentence Structure: Basic structure: Subject + Verb + Object. Questions are formed by inversion or intonation.

French Vocabulary

• Common Phrases: Greetings: "Bonjour" (Hello), "Au revoir" (Goodbye). Politeness: "S'il vous plaît" (Please), "Merci" (Thank you). "Excusez-moi" (Excuse me) is used for apologies.
• Key Thematic Areas: Everyday life: Food, clothing, transport. Emotions and feelings: "Heureux" (happy), "triste" (sad), "en colère" (angry).
• Numbers: 1-10: "un," "deux," "trois," "quatre," "cinq," "six," "sept," "huit," "neuf," "dix." Tens and hundreds have specific patterns, e.g. "vingt," "trente", "cent".
• Colors: Basic colors include: "rouge" (red), "bleu" (blue), "vert" (green), "noir" (black), "blanc" (white).

Test your knowledge on key periods and genres of French literature. From the Medieval times through Modernism, learn about notable works and authors that shaped the literary landscape. Additionally, explore aspects of French pronunciation critical for understanding the language.