List of French-language poets

List of poets who have written in the French language:

A

 * Louise-Victorine Ackermann (1813–1890)
 * Adam de la Halle (v.1250 – v.1285)
 * Dominique Aguessy (1937– )
 * Pierre Albert-Birot (1876–1967)
 * Anne-Marie Albiach (1937–2012)
 * Pierre Alféri (1963)
 * Marc Alyn (1937)
 * Catherine d'Amboise (1475–1550)
 * Jean Amrouche (1906–1962)
 * Guillaume Apollinaire (1880–1918)
 * Louis Aragon (1897–1982)
 * Jacques Arnold (1912–1995)
 * Hans Arp (1887–1966)
 * Antonin Artaud (1896–1948)
 * Théodore Agrippa d'Aubigné (1552–1630)
 * Jacques Audiberti (1899–1965)
 * Pierre Autin-Grenier (1947–2014)

B

 * Jean-Antoine de Baïf (1532–1589)
 * Luisa Ballesteros Rosas (born 1957)
 * Théodore de Banville (1823–1891)
 * Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly (1807–1889)
 * Henri Auguste Barbier (1805–1882)
 * Natalie Clifford Barney (1876–1972)
 * Linda Maria Baros (1981)
 * Guillaume de Salluste Du Bartas (1544–1590)
 * Henry Bataille (1872–1922)
 * Henry Bauchau (1913–2012)
 * Charles Baudelaire (1821–1867)
 * Marcel Béalu (1908–1993)
 * Philippe Beck (1963)
 * Samuel Beckett (1906–1989)
 * Joachim du Bellay (1522–1560)
 * Rémy Belleau (1528–1577)
 * Charles Beltjens (1832–1890)
 * Tahar Ben Jelloun (1944)
 * Isaac de Benserade (1612–1691)
 * Annie Bentoiu (1927–2015)
 * Pierre-Jean de Béranger (1780–1857)
 * Christian Bernard (1950)
 * Béroul (12th century)
 * Louky Bersianik (1965)
 * Aloysius Bertrand (1807–1841)
 * Gérard Bessière (1928)
 * Maurice Blanchot (1907–2003)
 * Blondel de Nesle (12th–13th centuries)
 * Christian Bobin (1951–2022)
 * Jean Bodel (1165–1210)
 * Étienne de La Boétie (1530–1563)
 * Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux (1636–1711)
 * Bonaventure Des Périers (1500–1544)
 * Yves Bonnefoy (1923–2016)
 * Pétrus Borel (1809–1859)
 * Bertran de Born (1150–1215 ?)
 * Robert de Boron (12th–13th centuries)
 * Théodore Botrel (1868–1925)
 * André du Bouchet (1924–2001)
 * Daniel Boulanger (1922–2014)
 * Stéphane Bouquet (1967)
 * Joë Bousquet (1897–1950)
 * Georges Brassens (1921–1981)
 * Jacques Brault (1933–2022)
 * André Breton (1896–1966)
 * Nicole Brossard (1943)
 * Aristide Bruant (1851–1925)
 * Gace Brulé (c.1160 – after 1213)
 * Andrée Brunin (1937–1993)
 * Michel Butor (1926–2016)

C

 * Louis Calaferte (1928–1994)
 * Susana Calandrelli (1901–1978)
 * Jean-Pierre Calloc'h (1888–1917)
 * Émile Cammaerts (1878–1953)
 * Côtis-Capel (1915–1986)
 * Placide Cappeau (1808–1877)
 * Adolphe Joseph Carcassonne (1826–1891)
 * Francis Carco (1886–1958)
 * Maurice Carême (1899–1978)
 * Jean Cayrol (1911–2005)
 * Rose Celli (1895–1982)
 * Blaise Cendrars (1887–1961)
 * Aimé Césaire (1913–2008)
 * Jean Chapelain (1595–1674)
 * Maurice Chappaz (1916–2009)
 * René Char (1907–1988)
 * Alain Chartier (1385–1430)
 * François-René de Chateaubriand (1768–1848)
 * Malcolm de Chazal (1902–1981)
 * Andrée Chedid (1920–2011)
 * Charles-Julien Lioult de Chênedollé (1769–1833)
 * François Cheng (1929)
 * André Chénier (1762–1794)
 * Jacques Chessex (1934–2009)
 * Chrétien de Troyes (c.1135 – c.1183)
 * Paul Claudel (1868–1955)
 * William Cliff (1940)
 * Jean Cocteau (1889–1963)
 * Gabrielle de Coignard (1550–1586)
 * Louise Colet (1810–1876)
 * Danielle Collobert (1940–1978)
 * Claude Confortès (1928–2016)
 * Conon de Béthune (c.1150 – 1220)
 * Benoît Conort (1956)
 * François Coppée (1842–1908)
 * Tristan Corbière (1845–1875)
 * Pierre Corneille (1606–1684)
 * Charles Cotin (1604–1681)
 * Gaston Couté (1880–1911)
 * Watriquet de Couvin (active 1319–1329)
 * Octave Crémazie (1827–1879)
 * René Crevel (1900–1935)
 * Charles Cros (1842–1888)

D

 * Jean Daive (1941)
 * Léon-Gontran Damas (1914–1978)
 * René Daumal (1908–1944)
 * François David (1870–1939)
 * Anne-Marie de Backer (1908–1987)
 * Lise Deharme (1898–1979)
 * Lucie Delarue-Mardrus (1880–1945)
 * Yanette Delétang-Tardif (1902–1976)
 * Jacques Delille (1738–1813)
 * René Depestre (1926)
 * Tristan Derème (1889–1941)
 * Paul Déroulède (1846–1914)
 * Maryline Desbiolles (1959)
 * Marceline Desbordes-Valmore (1786–1859)
 * Émile Deschamps (1791–1871)
 * Eustache Deschamps (1346–1406)
 * Robert Desnos (1900–1945)
 * Philippe Desportes (1546–1606)
 * Jean-Pierre Desthuilliers (1939–2013)
 * Bruno Destrée (1867–1919)
 * Léon Deubel (1879–1913)
 * Souéloum Diagho
 * Mohammed Dib (1920–2003)
 * David Diop (1927–1960)
 * Charles Dobzynski (1929–2014)
 * Jean Dorat (1508–1588)
 * Hélène Dorion (1958)
 * Christian Dotremont (1922–1979)
 * Minou Drouet (1947)
 * Caroline Dubois (1960)
 * Bernard Dubourg (1945–1992)
 * Georges Duhamel (1884–1966)
 * Jacques Dupin (1927–2012)
 * Jean-Pierre Duprey (1930–1959)
 * Marie Dauguet (1860-1942)

E

 * Paul Éluard (1895–1952)
 * Claude Esteban (1935–2006)

F

 * Nabile Farès (1940–2016)
 * Léon-Paul Fargue (1876–1947)
 * Jean-Pierre Faye (1925)
 * Léo Ferré (1916–1993)
 * Jean Follain (1903–1971)
 * Xavier Forneret (1809–1884)
 * Paul Fort (1872–1960)
 * Marie de France (1154–1189)
 * Martin Le Franc (1410–1461)
 * Frankétienne (1936)
 * Pauline Fréchette (1889-1943)
 * André Frédérique (1915–1957)
 * Jean Froissart (v.1337-v.1410)

G

 * Pierre Gabriel (1926–1994)
 * Serge Gainsbourg (1928–1991)
 * Augièr Galhard (16th-century)
 * Pierre Gamarra (1919–2009)
 * Joachim Gasquet (1873–1921)
 * Armand Gatti (1924–2017)
 * Théophile Gautier (1811–1872)
 * Jean Genet (1910–1986)
 * Amélie Gex (1835–1883)
 * Henri Ghéon (1875–1644)
 * Roger Gilbert-Lecomte (1907–1943)
 * Iwan Gilkin (1858–1924)
 * Roger Giroux (1925–1974)
 * Edouard Glissant (1928–2011)
 * Guy Goffette (1947)
 * Claire Goll (1890–1977)
 * Yvan Goll (1891–1950)
 * Jean Ogier de Gombauld (1576–1666)
 * Remy de Gourmont (1858–1915)
 * Xavier Grall (1930–1981)
 * Benoît Gréan
 * Jean-Baptiste-Louis Gresset (1709–1777)
 * Jacques Grévin (1538–1570)
 * Jean Grosjean (1912–2006)
 * Maurice de Guérin (1810–1839)
 * Georges Guillain (1876–1961)
 * Guillaume de Lorris (c.1200 – c.1238)
 * Pernette du Guillet (1520–1545)
 * Eugène Guillevic (1907–1997)

H

 * Adam de la Halle (1237–1288)
 * Anne Hébert (1916–2000)
 * Markus Hediger (1959)
 * Bernard Heidsieck (1928–2014)
 * Georges Henein (1914–1973)
 * José-Maria de Heredia (1842–1905)
 * Antoine Héroet (d. 1567)
 * Michel Houellebecq (1958)
 * Victor Hugo (1802–1885)
 * Marie Huot (1965)

I

 * Jacques Izoard (1936–2008)

J

 * Edmond Jabès (1912–1991)
 * Philippe Jaccottet (1925–2021)
 * Max Jacob (1876–1944)
 * Francis Jammes (1868–1938)
 * Amadis Jamyn (1538–1592)
 * Alfred Jarry (1873–1907)
 * Sandra Jayat (c.1939)
 * Georges Jean (1920–2011)
 * Jean de Meung (1250 – c.1305)
 * Étienne Jodelle (1532–1573)
 * Jean Joubert (1928–2015)
 * Jacques Jouet (1947)
 * Alain Jouffroy (1928–2015)
 * Pierre Jean Jouve (1887–1976)
 * Charles Juliet (1934)

K

 * Gustave Kahn (1859–1936)
 * Kama Sywor Kamanda (1952)
 * Abdelkebir Khatibi (1938–2009)
 * Vénus Khoury-Ghata (1937)
 * Tristan Klingsor (1874–1966)
 * Anise Koltz (1928–2023)
 * Petr Kral (1941–2020)
 * Seyhan Kurt (1971)

L

 * Abdellatif Laâbi (1942)
 * Louise Labé (1524–1566)
 * Pierre Labrie (1972)
 * Jacques Lacarrière (1925–2005)
 * Jean de La Fontaine (1621–1695)
 * Jules Laforgue (1860–1887)
 * Jean Lahor (1840–1909)
 * Alphonse de Lamartine (1790–1869)
 * Bernard de La Monnoye (1641–1728)
 * Jane de La Vaudère (1857-1908)
 * Valery Larbaud (1881–1957)
 * Josaphat-Robert Large (1942–2017)
 * Rina Lasnier (1910–1997)
 * Isidore Ducasse, comte de Lautréamont (1846–1870)
 * Pierre-Antoine Lebrun (1785–1873)
 * Félix Leclerc (1914–1988)
 * Leconte de Lisle (1818–1894)
 * Michel Leiris (1901–1990)
 * Jean Lemaire de Belges (1473–1520)
 * Charles Le Quintrec (1926–2008)
 * Jean-François Leriget de La Faye (1674–1731)
 * Alain Le Roux (c. 1040 – 1093)
 * Hervé Le Tellier (1957)
 * Henry Jean-Marie Levet (1874–1906)
 * Tristan L'Hermite (1601–1655)
 * Liska (1956–2011)
 * Guillaume de Lorris (1200–1240)
 * Pierre Louÿs (1870–1925)
 * Ghérasim Luca (1913–1994)
 * Jean-Pierre Luminet (1951)

M

 * Guillaume de Machaut (1300–1377)
 * Maurice Maeterlinck (1862–1949)
 * François de Malherbe (1555–1628)
 * Stéphane Mallarmé (1842–1898)
 * Pierre de Marbeuf (1595–1645)
 * Clément Marot (1495–1544)
 * Jean Marot (1450–1526)
 * Anne de Marquets (1533-1588)
 * Fabien Marsaud (born 1977)
 * Charles Maurras (1868–1952)
 * Catulle Mendès (1841–1909)
 * Élisa Mercœur (1809–1835)
 * Thierry Metz (1956–1997)
 * Jean de Meun (1240–1304)
 * Henri Michaux (1899-1984)
 * Jean Michel (c. 1435–1501)
 * Jean Moréas (1856—1910)
 * Hégésippe Moreau (1810–1838)
 * Camille de Morel
 * Colin Muset
 * Alfred de Musset (1810–1857)

N

 * Marguerite de Navarre (1492–1549)
 * Émile Nelligan (1879–1941)
 * Gérard de Nerval (1808–1855)

O

 * René de Obaldia (1918–2022)
 * Charles, duc d'Orléans (1394–1465)

P

 * Évariste de Parny (1753–1814)
 * Charles Péguy (1873–1914)
 * Benjamin Péret (1899–1959)
 * Louis Pergaud (1882–1915)
 * Saint-John Perse (1887–1975)
 * Christine de Pizan (1364–c. 1430)
 * Francis Ponge (1899–1988)
 * Jacques Prévert (1900–1977)
 * Guiot de Provins
 * Sully Prudhomme (1839–1907)

Q

 * Raymond Queneau (1903–1976)

R

 * Nicolas Rapin (1535–1608)
 * Henri de Régnier (1864–1936)
 * Pierre Reverdy (1889–1960)
 * Arthur Rimbaud (1854–1891)
 * Jules Romains (1885–1972)
 * Pierre de Ronsard (1524–1585)
 * Jaufré Rudel (1113–1170)
 * Rutebeuf (1245–1285)

S

 * Janou Saint-Denis (1930–2000)
 * Hector de Saint-Denys Garneau (1912–1943)
 * Mellin de Saint-Gelais (1491–1558)
 * Jean François de Saint-Lambert (1716–1803)
 * Benoît de Sainte-Maure
 * André Salmon (1881–1969)
 * Albert Samain (1858–1900)
 * Henriette Sauret (1890–1976)
 * Paul Scarron (1610–1660)
 * Maurice Scève (1501–1564)
 * Georges Schehadé (1907–1989)
 * Pierre Seghers (1906–1987)
 * Léopold Senghor (1906–2001)
 * Louisa Siefert (1845–1877)
 * Dominique Sorrente (born 1953)
 * Philippe Soupault (1897–1990)
 * André Spire (1868–1966)
 * Jules Supervielle (1884-1960)

T

 * Taillefer (1001–1066)
 * Jean de La Taille (1535–1608)
 * Jean Tardieu (1903–1995)
 * Thomas of Britain
 * Khal Torabully (born 1956)
 * Julien Torma (1902–1933)
 * Paul-Jean Toulet (1867–1920)
 * Roland Michel Tremblay (born 1972)
 * Chrétien de Troyes
 * Pontus de Tyard (1521–1605)
 * Tristan Tzara (1896–1963)

V

 * Paul Valéry (1871–1945)
 * Jean-Pierre Vallotton (born 1955)
 * Léonise Valois (1868–1936)
 * Jean Venturini (1919–1940)
 * Serge Venturini (born 1955)
 * Emile Verhaeren (1855–1916)
 * Paul Verlaine (1844–1896)
 * Francis Viélé-Griffin (1864–1937)
 * Boris Vian (1920–1959)
 * Claude Vigée (1921–2020)
 * Alfred de Vigny (1797–1863)
 * François Villon (1431–1463)
 * Roger Vitrac (1899–1952)
 * Vincent Voiture (1597–1648)
 * Voltaire (1694–1778)