Clémont Marot

(c. 1495 - 1544)

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Biography of Marot

In the history of Metrical Psalmody, Clément Marot is remembered for having set 50 of the 150 Psalms in the Genevan Psalter. Marot was considered to be the greatest French poet of his age (16th century) and was the official poet of the French Court. Calvin first met Marot at the court of the Duchess of Ferrara in 1536 and it was there that he became familiar with Marot's ability to versify the Psalms. At that time Marot had completed 10 Psalms (25, 36, 43, 46, 520 91, 113, 120, 138, and 142). Later Marot ended up in Geneva (having fled France due to romantic intrigues) and it was there that Calvin convinced him to set more of the Psalms. Marot's Psalter first appeared at Paris in 1541 and it contained 30 Psalms along with metrical versions of the 10 Commandments (the Decalogue), the Lord's Prayer, The Gloria, and the Apostle's Creed. Later editions containing 50 Psalms were later printed at Geneva in 1542, and at Strassburg in 1545. The strict life in Geneva proved too “confining” for Marot and he moved to Turin, Italy where he later died in mysterious circumstances, probably from poisoning.

Marot and Religious Poetry in the Late 16th Century France
Marot poems set by Maruice Ravel
Marot Poems set by other composers
Marot Poems (in French)
Blason (a type of classical verse invented by Marot
An English translation of Little Girl (a poetic trifle by Marot)
Le Ton beau de Marot: In Praise of the Music of Language (by Douglas R. Hofstadter, author of Gödel, Escher, Bach)
Review of Le Ton beau de Marot: In Praise of the Music of Language (with comments by Hofstadter)
Review of Le Ton beau de Marot: In Praise of the Music of Language (by the Cornell Chronicle)
Marot is burned in effigy
There is a street in Paris, France is named after Marot -- Rue Clément Marot (from site of Honig Buffat Mettetal)
Another portrait of Marot