Honorat de Bueil Racan was a French poet and member of the Académie française.
Background
Honorat de Bueil Racan was born on February 5, 1589 at the chateau of La Roche-Racan, France into an illustrious noble family (originally of Italian origin). An orphan at the age of 13 (both his uncle and father were killed in the wars), Racan came under the protection of the Count de Bellegarde (first gentleman of the king's chamber) and became a page for king Henry IV of France.
Education
His education was minimal, and by his own account he learned only the rudiments of Latin, and was bored by most of his subjects, exception being made to French verse.
Career
He became page at the court of Henry IV and then entered the army, seeing some active service. Racan was very poor and was practically uneducated, for, if his own accountmay be credited, he had not learnt even Latin. But in middle life he inherited some property, and he was thus able to devote himself to the practice of poetry, in which he was the faithful, and perhaps the most distinguished, disciple of Malherbe. He had known Malherbe when he was a page at the court of Henry IV, and had early contributed to the fashionable albums of the day. Racan was the author of Sept psaumes (1631), Odes sacrees tirees des psaumes de David (1651), Dernieres oeuvres et poesies chretiennes (1660), in all of which he was hampered by his inability to read the sacred writings except in other French paraphrases. His CEuvres completes were edited by Tenant de Latour in 1857, and the edition includes a biographical notice.
Membership
He was one of the original members of the French Academy.