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François Villon, commonly known simply as Villon, is the best‑known French poet of the late Middle Ages. He is celebrated for a body of works that includes Le Grand Testament (The Grand Testament), Le Petit Testament (The Little Testament), and a collection of ballads and rondeaux. Villon’s verse is prized for its direct, often earthy language, wit, and a stark preoccupation with mortality, fate, and social margin.

Life and career: Villon was likely born in Paris around 1431 and pursued studies at the University of Paris, possibly the Collège de Navarre. His early years were marked by a roving and sometimes criminal life, including periods of imprisonment and exile. He reappears in Parisian literary circles in the 1450s and 1460s, but the historical record becomes fragmentary after about 1463. The exact circumstances of his death remain uncertain, though most scholars place it in Paris in the early 1460s.

Works and style: Villon wrote in the vernacular of his time, blending learned allusions with streetwise humor and keen social observation. The Grand Testament, written as he approached the end of his life, offers a moral and autobiographical meditation on fortune, death, and renown. The Petit Testament continues these themes. His ballades and other poems frequently address universal concerns—mortality, poverty, exile, and the fragility of life—with a voice that feels both intimate and worldly.

Legacy: Villon is regarded as a foundational figure in French literature, whose personal voice and urban sensibility helped shape later French poetry and literary realism. He remains a central figure in the study of medieval literature and the French canon.