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The Invention of Literature and Culture in France

The Invention of Literature and Culture in France.

France, one of the most popular countries in the world is renowned for its unique and beautiful culture. This French culture is woven around its food, music, religion and most importantly its literature. This culture has been shaped by historic events and by foreign and internal forces.

History of the French literature and Culture

The French culture has been actively influenced by Celtic and Gallo-Roman cultures. France was initially defined as the western area of Germany known as Rhineland but it later came to refer to a territory that was known as Gaul during the Iron Age and Roman era.

The French language is one of the earliest and most valued forms of language in the world. It's the official language in France and it is spoken by over 85 percent of the population of the country with little regional differences among different tribes in the country. The activity of the French explorers also brought a lot of popularity to the language as it is now the second most learned language in the world with over 120 million students learning it all over the world. Although, due to the effect of the early German influence on French history and culture, about three percent of the total population of the country still speak the German language.

Religion also plays a vital role in the historical culture of France. France gives its citizens the right to choose any religion of their choice and according to a poll conducted in 2012, it was estimated that about 60% of the French population are Christians with the remaining 40% consisting of atheist Muslims, or other religions of their choice. Among the 60% of the population that are Christians, 80% of these Christian populations are Catholics with the remaining 20% being protestants and other denominations of the Christian faith. This can be guessed since the Catholic church has always been very important in French history. Kings were considered the head of the church and state. Most French people are Roman Catholic Christians, however, many of them are secular but still place a high value on Catholicism. Before the 1789 revolution, the catholic religion was considered a state religion and laws and rules were made with serious considerations given to the catholic rules.

Another major significant part of the French culture is the unique and distinct forms of art that originated from the French culture. There were a lot of different types of art that originated from France and one example of such type of art is the Gothic art that started in France in the 12th century and becomes quite popular throughout Europe in the 13th century. The 17th century was when one of the intense artistic achievements of France emerged. Numerous French paintings emerged with a distinct identity, moving from Baroque to Classicism. Famous classic painters of the 17th century were of French origin and their works were highly valued throughout the world due to their uniqueness and beauty. French architecture also proved influential with the Palace of Versailles, built for the powerful king Louis XIV, becoming the model of many European royal palaces.

Famous French artists such as Nicolas Poussin, Claude Lorrain, Antonio Watteau, Francois Boucher worked on numerous works of art that showed the beauty of the French culture.

Another major aspect of the French culture includes their unique music, French food, French dresses and a lot more. This vast diversity of the French culture has contributed to the rapid growth reach and had also made France on other countries with a major influence in Europe.

The invention of literature in France

The history of French literature can be described as a continuous process that has undergone a lot of development overages. This development of the French literature can be grouped into different times which starts from the Middle Ages through the fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries up to the present contemporary times. A brief summary of the French literature through all these centuries is given below.

The early medieval literature was written in old French, and they were written between the 11th and 15th centuries. These literary works were mostly poems, love songs and also religious writings. The most popular literary work of this time is the Eulalie and Canticle of Saints. Forms of poetic works by medieval French poets include Jeu Parti, Aube, Chant royal and Chanson, while genres of the theater include Passion play, miracle play, morality play, and mystery play.

The sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries experienced a lot of developments on various literature pieces. During these times France experienced a great development politically and economically and thus their influence was felt all over Europe. Some popular styles during the late period of these times (nineteenth centuries) include symbolism, Parnassian poetry, and naturalism. And these unique mess was one of the mains reasons why French literature Was revered all over the world.

In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the French literature now focused on contemporary and the major events that were rampant in the society. French writers now write on issues such as racism, equality, feminism and more. Love was also a major concept French writers write on this mist French writings often reflect love perfectly.

In conclusion, over the yearsThe Invention of Literature and Culture in France, both the French literature and culture has experienced rapid development and thus has enjoyed international recognition as one of the major and most influential cultures of the world.

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