In 1656, Louis XIV founded the General Hospital of Paris, a significant institution aimed at managing the city's poor, including beggars, the elderly, and orphans. This establishment was part of a broader effort to address social issues and provide care for the vulnerable populations in urban areas. The General Hospital represented a shift toward institutionalized care and laid the groundwork for modern social welfare systems in France.

The establishment of the General Hospital of Paris sparked debates about charity and poverty, themes that were later explored in French prose and socially critical poetry. Poets began to reflect on the human condition, using their work to critique societal norms and advocate for the marginalized.