Clément Marot, French poet (born 1496)

Clément Marot was a French Renaissance poet. He was influenced by the writers of the late 15th century and paved the way for the Pléiade, and is undoubtedly the most important poet at the court of Francis I. Despite the support of Marguerite de Valois-Angoulême (1492-1549), the king’s sister, his strong leanings toward the Reformation led to several imprisonments and two periods of exile.