Editing François Villon (section)

=== Discussion ===
[[File:Statue of Francois Villon in Utrecht.jpg|thumb|Statue in [[Utrecht]], [[Netherlands]]]]

Villon was a great innovator in terms of the themes of poetry and, through these themes, a great renovator of the forms. He understood perfectly the [[medieval]] courtly ideal, but he often chose to write against the grain, reversing the values and celebrating the lowlifes destined for the gallows, falling happily into parody or lewd jokes, and constantly innovating in his diction and vocabulary; a few minor poems make extensive use of Parisian thieves' slang. Still Villon's verse is mostly about his own life, a record of poverty, trouble, and trial which was certainly shared by his poems' intended audience.

Villon's poems are sprinkled with mysteries and hidden jokes. They are peppered with the slang of the time and the underworld subculture in which Villon moved.<ref>See, for example, {{cite book | first = L. | last = Sainéan | title = Les Sources de l'Argot Ancien | year = 1912 | location = Paris | publisher = Librairie Ancienne |editor-last=Champion |editor-first=Honoré |editor-link=Honoré Champion |editor2-last=Champion |editor2-first=Édouard |editor2-link=:fr:Édouard Champion | url = https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k2993546/f5.item.r=villon.texteImage}}</ref> His works are also replete with private jokes and full of the names of real people – rich men, royal officials, lawyers, prostitutes, and policemen – from medieval Paris.<ref>Fein 1997, p.1: "Most, however, are lesser-known personages, including friends or acquaintances of the poet, as well as a variety of characters representing all walks of life. Here, lay readers, (and frequently even scholars) find themselves at a loss. Writing primarily for a small circle of acquaintances, Villon enjoyed making private jokes that only his immediate audience would be able to understand and appreciate. Thus even many of Villon's contemporaries, unfamiliar with the poet and his immediate acquaintances and therefore incapable of deciphering the meaning of many verses, would find themselves precluded from understanding large portions of Villon's poetic corpus."</ref>