READ Famous Poets from France

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Here's an extensive list of notable or famous poets from France, with bios and photos, including the top poets born in France and even some popular poets who immigrated to France. If you're trying to find out the names of famous French poets then this list is the perfect resource for you. These poets are among the most prominent in their field, and information about each well-known poet from France is included when available.

Famous French writers of poems on this list include Adam de la Ralle and Arthur Rimbaud.

This historic poets from France list can help answer the questions "Who are some French poets of note?" and "Who are the most famous poets from France?" These prominent poets of France may or may not be currently alive, but what they all have in common is that they're all respected French poets.

Use this list of renowned French poets to discover some new poets that you aren't familiar with. Don't forget to share this list by clicking one of the social media icons at the top or bottom of the page.

1

Adam de la Halle Adam de la Halle, also known as Adam le Bossu was a French-born trouvère, poet and musician, whose literary and musical works include chansons and jeux-partis in the style of the ...more

2

Adélaïde Dufrénoy Dec. at 60 (1765-1825) Adélaïde-Gillette Dufrénoy was a French poet and painter from Brittany. The daughter of Jacques Billet, a jeweller for the Crown of Poland, she had a lavish education and ...more

3

Aimé Césaire Dec. at 95 (1913-2008) Aimé Fernand David Césaire was a Francophone and French poet, author and politician from Martinique. He was "one of the founders of the négritude movement in ...more

4

Alexandre Soumet Dec. at 57 (1788-1845) Alexandre Soumet was a French poet.

5

Alfred de Musset Dec. at 47 (1810-1857) Alfred Louis Charles de Musset-Pathay was a French dramatist, poet, and novelist. Along with his poetry, he is known for writing La Confession d'un enfant du siècle from 1836.

6

Alphonse Daudet Dec. at 57 (1840-1897) Alphonse Daudet was a French novelist. He was the father of writers Léon Daudet and Lucien Daudet.

7

Alphonse de Lamartine Dec. at 79 (1790-1869) Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine, chevalier de Pratz, was a French writer, poet and politician who was instrumental in the foundation of the Second Republic and the continuation of the ...more

8

Anatole France Dec. at 80 (1844-1924) Anatole France was a French poet, journalist, and novelist. He was born in Paris, and died in Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire. He was a successful novelist, with several best-sellers. Ironic and skeptical, ...more

9

André Breton Dec. at 70 (1896-1966) André Breton was a French writer and poet. He is known best as the founder of Surrealism. His writings include the first Surrealist Manifesto of 1924, in which he defined surrealism as ...more

10

André Frénaud Dec. at 86 (1907-1993) First known for his war-time poems written from a German labour camp - notably his sombre reworkings of the myth of the Magi - André Frénaud is one of the most searching of French ...more

11

Anna de Noailles Dec. at 57 (1876-1933) Anna, Comtesse Mathieu de Noailles was a Romanian-French writer.

12

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Dec. at 44 (1900-1944) Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, officially Antoine Marie Jean-Baptiste Roger, comte de Saint Exupéry was a French aristocrat, writer, poet, and pioneering aviator. He became a laureate ...more

13

Armand Gatti age 95 Armand Gatti is a French playwright, poet, journalist, screenwriter, filmmaker and former WW II resistance fighter. His debut film Enclosure was entered into the 2nd Moscow International Film ...more

14

Arthur Rimbaud Dec. at 37 (1854-1891) Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud was a French poet born in Charleville, Ardennes. He influenced modern literature and arts, inspired various musicians, and prefigured surrealism. He started writing ...more

15

Bernard Casadesus Dec. at 71 (1923-1994) Bernard Casadesus was a musicologist, singer and poet.

16

Blaise Cendrars Dec. at 74 (1887-1961) Frédéric-Louis Sauser, better known as Blaise Cendrars, was a Swiss-born novelist and poet who became a naturalized French citizen in 1916. He was a writer of considerable ...more

17

Breyten Breytenbach age 79 Breyten Breytenbach is a South African writer and painter of great eminence. He is informally considered as the national poet laureate by Afrikaans speaking South Africans of the region. He also ...more

18

Carlos Alvarado-Larroucau age 55 Carlos Alvarado-Larroucau is an Argentine-born French author. Born in Argentina in 1964.

19

Casimir Delavigne Dec. at 50 (1793-1843) Jean-François Casimir Delavigne was a French poet and dramatist.

20

Charles Baudelaire Dec. at 46 (1821-1867) Charles Pierre Baudelaire was a French poet who also produced notable work as an essayist, art critic, and pioneering translator of Edgar Allan Poe. His most famous work, Les Fleurs du mal, ...more

21

Charles Le Goffic Dec. at 79 (1853-1932) Charles Le Goffic was a French poet, novelist and historian whose influence was especially strong in his native Brittany. He was a member of the Académie française.

22

Charles-Julien Lioult de Chênedollé Dec. at 64 (1769-1833) Charles-Julien Lioult de Chênedollé was a French poet.

23

Claude Nougaro Dec. at 75 (1929-2004) Claude Nougaro was a French songwriter and singer.

24

Danielle Collobert Dec. at 38 (1940-1978) Danielle Collobert was a French author, poet and journalist, born in Rostrenen, Côtes-d'Armor on 23 July 1940. She died, by her own hand, in Paris on 23 July 1978. Her mother, a teacher, ...more

25

Dmitri Savitski age 75 Dmitri Petrovich Savitski is a Russian writer and poet.

1 Adam de la Halle Adam de la Halle, also known as Adam le Bossu was a French-born trouvère, poet and musician, whose literary and musical works include chansons and jeux-partis in the style of the ...more

2 Adélaïde Dufrénoy Dec. at 60 (1765-1825) Adélaïde-Gillette Dufrénoy was a French poet and painter from Brittany. The daughter of Jacques Billet, a jeweller for the Crown of Poland, she had a lavish education and ...more

3 Aimé Césaire Dec. at 95 (1913-2008) Aimé Fernand David Césaire was a Francophone and French poet, author and politician from Martinique. He was "one of the founders of the négritude movement in ...more

4 Alexandre Soumet Dec. at 57 (1788-1845) Alexandre Soumet was a French poet.

5 Alfred de Musset Dec. at 47 (1810-1857) Alfred Louis Charles de Musset-Pathay was a French dramatist, poet, and novelist. Along with his poetry, he is known for writing La Confession d'un enfant du siècle from 1836.

6 Alphonse Daudet Dec. at 57 (1840-1897) Alphonse Daudet was a French novelist. He was the father of writers Léon Daudet and Lucien Daudet.

7 Alphonse de Lamartine Dec. at 79 (1790-1869) Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine, chevalier de Pratz, was a French writer, poet and politician who was instrumental in the foundation of the Second Republic and the continuation of the ...more

8 Anatole France Dec. at 80 (1844-1924) Anatole France was a French poet, journalist, and novelist. He was born in Paris, and died in Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire. He was a successful novelist, with several best-sellers. Ironic and skeptical, ...more

9 André Breton Dec. at 70 (1896-1966) André Breton was a French writer and poet. He is known best as the founder of Surrealism. His writings include the first Surrealist Manifesto of 1924, in which he defined surrealism as ...more

10 André Frénaud Dec. at 86 (1907-1993) First known for his war-time poems written from a German labour camp - notably his sombre reworkings of the myth of the Magi - André Frénaud is one of the most searching of French ...more

11 Anna de Noailles Dec. at 57 (1876-1933) Anna, Comtesse Mathieu de Noailles was a Romanian-French writer.

12 Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Dec. at 44 (1900-1944) Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, officially Antoine Marie Jean-Baptiste Roger, comte de Saint Exupéry was a French aristocrat, writer, poet, and pioneering aviator. He became a laureate ...more

13 Armand Gatti age 95 Armand Gatti is a French playwright, poet, journalist, screenwriter, filmmaker and former WW II resistance fighter. His debut film Enclosure was entered into the 2nd Moscow International Film ...more

14 Arthur Rimbaud Dec. at 37 (1854-1891) Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud was a French poet born in Charleville, Ardennes. He influenced modern literature and arts, inspired various musicians, and prefigured surrealism. He started writing ...more

15 Bernard Casadesus Dec. at 71 (1923-1994) Bernard Casadesus was a musicologist, singer and poet.

16 Blaise Cendrars Dec. at 74 (1887-1961) Frédéric-Louis Sauser, better known as Blaise Cendrars, was a Swiss-born novelist and poet who became a naturalized French citizen in 1916. He was a writer of considerable ...more

17 Breyten Breytenbach age 79 Breyten Breytenbach is a South African writer and painter of great eminence. He is informally considered as the national poet laureate by Afrikaans speaking South Africans of the region. He also ...more

18 Carlos Alvarado-Larroucau age 55 Carlos Alvarado-Larroucau is an Argentine-born French author. Born in Argentina in 1964.

19 Casimir Delavigne Dec. at 50 (1793-1843) Jean-François Casimir Delavigne was a French poet and dramatist.

20 Charles Baudelaire Dec. at 46 (1821-1867) Charles Pierre Baudelaire was a French poet who also produced notable work as an essayist, art critic, and pioneering translator of Edgar Allan Poe. His most famous work, Les Fleurs du mal, ...more

21 Charles Le Goffic Dec. at 79 (1853-1932) Charles Le Goffic was a French poet, novelist and historian whose influence was especially strong in his native Brittany. He was a member of the Académie française.

22 Charles-Julien Lioult de Chênedollé Dec. at 64 (1769-1833) Charles-Julien Lioult de Chênedollé was a French poet.

23 Claude Nougaro Dec. at 75 (1929-2004) Claude Nougaro was a French songwriter and singer.

24 Danielle Collobert Dec. at 38 (1940-1978) Danielle Collobert was a French author, poet and journalist, born in Rostrenen, Côtes-d'Armor on 23 July 1940. She died, by her own hand, in Paris on 23 July 1978. Her mother, a teacher, ...more

25 Dmitri Savitski age 75 Dmitri Petrovich Savitski is a Russian writer and poet.