Béranger, Pierre Jean de (1780-1857)

French poet. He wrote light satirical lyrics dealing with love, wine, popular philosophy, and politics. Many of his verses were printed satires against the government that succeeded the fall of Napoleon.

Béranger was born in Paris. After initial hardship, he published his first collection of songs in 1816 and was immediately hailed as the foremost of his country's songwriters. The mocking irony of his Roi d'Yvetot/King of Yvetot about 1813, saluting the awakening of more truly liberal ideas, had a pronounced effect. His increasing courage in airing revolutionary ideas led to imprisonment in 1821 and 1828.