Knowra Madame de Sévigné Madame de Sévigné Madame de Sévigné (1626–1696) was a French aristocrat whose lively letters to family and friends became a major record of seventeenth-century French society and events.
Madame de Grignan : Françoise-Marguerite de Sévigné, daughter of Madame de Sévigné and wife of the count of Grignan. Their separation prompted the celebrated series of letters addressed to her.
Epistolary literature : Literature composed wholly or partly of letters, whether real or fictional. Sévigné’s correspondence became a landmark example of letters valued as literature.
Historical source : A document or artifact used to investigate and interpret the past. Her letters provide firsthand evidence, while also reflecting a particular social viewpoint.
Madame de Maintenon : A French noblewoman who became the second, morganatic wife of Louis XIV. Her place at court contrasts with Sévigné’s position as an observer and correspondent.
Henri de Sévigné : A French nobleman who married Marie de Rabutin-Chantal in 1644 and died in a duel in 1651. His early death left Madame de Sévigné a young widow and shaped her family life.
French literature of the seventeenth century : Writing produced in France during the seventeenth century, spanning classical drama, prose, poetry, and correspondence. Her letters belong to the literary culture that flourished under the Bourbon monarchy.
French aristocracy : The hereditary and titled elite that held social privilege and political influence in France. Her accounts reveal aristocratic relationships, obligations, and everyday concerns.
Madame de Staël : A French writer and political thinker whose works shaped European Romantic-era debate. Her public career contrasts with Sévigné’s literary reputation, built chiefly from private letters.
Madame de La Fayette : A French aristocrat and novelist best known for the 1678 novel The Princesse de Clèves. She was a close friend in the literary and social circle shared with Sévigné.
French salon : A social gathering, often hosted by an influential woman, where guests discussed literature, politics, and ideas. Salon conversation and sociability shaped the wit and audience of her letters.
Show all 20