The Princess of Cleves was first published in 1678 and is often considered the first significant French novel. Marie de Lafayette paved the way for future novelists with her work. The meaning and impact of his work go far beyond the actual text. It combines original and classic concepts throughout its story. His figurative language is still prevalent and widely used in modern literature. De La Fayette's innovative ideas contributed to one of the most important periods, the Enlightenment, and continue to inspire today. The Princess of Cleves focuses on the forbidden love shared between Madame de Cleves and Monsieur de Nemours. The princess longs for M. de Nemours, but forces herself to remain faithful to her husband even after his death. Madame de Cleves often pretends to be ill, throughout the story, to avoid the temptation to act on her feelings for Nemours. Madame de Cleves pretends “to be ill, to have a good excuse for not going, because the real motives would not be approved and should not be suspected” (De La Fayette 89). Nemours, similarly, renounces the events of the French court, under the pretext of illness to remove himself from the presence of Madame de Cleves. Lovesickness is often present in the plots of films and novels. The term lovesickness can be described as the anguish felt in the absence of a loved one. Both Nemours and Madame de Cleves feign illness to remain virtuous, but in doing so they sacrifice each other's possibility of true happiness. The absence of each other's lives brings them only pain. The Princess of Cleves was one of the first of many novels to contain the concept of lovesickness. Contemporary authors seem to have modeled their plots on The Princess of Cleves....... middle of paper...... The Princess of Cleves by Ame De La Fayette is a timeless piece that has on readers the same impact he has made it in 1678. His use of figurative language, throughout the story, addresses social issues and conveys a strong moral; many of which still apply today. Before the Princess of Cleves, for many the focus was on the meaning of reputation and status. De La Fayette challenges the social standards of his time and teaches the importance of humility, reasoning, introspection and virtue. De La Fayette's powerful analogies and metaphors will continue to influence writers and remain relevant to audiences around the world. Works Cited De La Fayette, Madame. The Princess of Cleves. The Norton Anthology of Western Literature. Ed. Sarah Lawall. 8th ed. vol. 2. New York: Norton, 2006. 70-159. Print.Holy Bible, new international version. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984. Print.