Guillaume de Machaut, born around 1300 in the village of Machault near Reims, was a preeminent French composer and poet of the 14th century, renowned for his contributions to the ars nova style of music. He served as a secretary to John I, Count of Luxembourg and King of Bohemia, from 1323 to 1346, accompanying him on numerous military expeditions across Europe. After King John's death at the Battle of Crécy in 1346, Machaut entered the service of various aristocrats, including King John's daughter, Bonne, and her sons, Jean de Berry and Charles V of France.

Machaut's legacy as a composer is marked by his extensive body of work, which includes the earliest known complete setting of the Ordinary of the Mass by a single composer, the Messe de Nostre Dame. His secular compositions, such as the rondeaux "Ma fin est mon commencement" and "Rose, liz, printemps, verdure," and the virelai "Douce Dame Jolie," exemplify his mastery of the motet and secular song forms, particularly the lai and formes fixes (rondeau, virelai, and ballade).

Machaut's poetry, admired by contemporaries like Geoffrey Chaucer and Eustache Deschamps, continued to influence writers well into the 15th century. His works often explore themes of courtly love, employing characters such as Fortune and Love to dramatize personal and symbolic narratives. His poem Le voir dit, written between 1361 and 1365, recounts a purported late love affair with a young woman named Péronne d'Armentières, though its autobiographical accuracy is debated.

In his later years, Machaut resided in Reims, where he focused on composing and overseeing the creation of illuminated manuscripts of his complete works. He passed away in April 1377, leaving behind a legacy as the most distinguished composer of his century, whose works continue to be celebrated for their innovation and enduring influence on Western music.