Marie de France holds the distinction of being the earliest known French woman poet. Her renowned work, The Lais of Marie de France, is a collection of twelve poems ranging from 118 to 1,184 lines. Although these poems were written over several years, Marie eventually compiled them into a singular volume, attaching a fifty-six-line prologue dedicated to an enigmatic “noble king,” whose identity remains a subject of scholarly debate. Many experts speculate that the unnamed king could be Henry II of England, who ascended to the throne in 1154. Like Marie, Henry descended from French lineage but resided in England, which serves as the backdrop for many of the Lais.

The term lai, borrowed from the Provençal word for “ballad,” originally referred to short, lyric poems performed with stringed accompaniment. By Marie’s era, however, the definition had broadened to include poems intended for silent reading or as part of courtly entertainment. Marie’s Lais clearly targeted an educated audience, as evidenced by allusions to figures like the Roman poet Ovid, the medieval grammarian Priscian, and the legendary Babylonian queen Semiramis. Marie herself was likely well-versed in both Latin and English, which contributed to her widespread acclaim during her lifetime.

Composed in Old French, Marie’s Lais utilize rhyming couplets of eight-syllable lines. Each poem centers around a romantic crisis that propels the characters into adventures. While some stories, like “Equitan,” serve to impart moral lessons, the majority offer pure entertainment. A notable few, such as “Chaitivel” and “The Two Lovers,” conclude with tragic endings. However, most of these narratives celebrate love's victory over various hurdles encountered throughout the tales.

Marie de France emerges as a trailblazer in women's literature, not by restricting herself to themes traditionally associated with women, but by carving a significant place for herself within a genre largely dominated by men. Her reputation in the Middle Ages paralleled that of her male contemporaries, such as Chrétien de Troyes, Guillaume de Lorris, and Wolfram von Eschenbach, making her a unique figure in the literary landscape of her time.

The conventions of medieval romance and the societal norms of her era often resulted in Marie focusing more on male protagonists within her poems. This is evident in her Lais, where female characters frequently remain unnamed or are defined by their relationships with male figures, such as being referred to as “Meriaduc’s sister” or “Eliduc’s wife.” Even a well-known figure like Guinevere is simply called “the queen” in the tale of "Lanval." Despite this, Marie's contributions laid a foundation for future female authors, allowing figures like Marguerite de Navarre to thrive. Navarre’s Heptaméron drew inspiration from Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron, showcasing a narrative built upon the structural precedents Marie helped to establish.

Marie’s work exemplifies aristocratic and intellectual poetry, setting a precedent for subsequent writers such as Anna, Comtesse de Noailles, and Catherine Pozzi. These later authors would continue to explore and expand upon the themes and structures introduced by Marie, highlighting her lasting influence on literature. Ultimately, Marie de France's literary success not only marked her as a pioneer among women writers of her time but also as a pivotal figure whose work transcended gender boundaries, influencing the literary tradition well beyond her own era.